Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)- The BNP-led 18-party alliance on Saturday called countrywide dawn-to-dusk strike for Sunday and Monday for the government's “failure to return” missing BNP leader M Ilias Ali by the opposition-set deadline.
BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the fresh program at a press conference at its central office in the capital Dhaka.
Earlier, the main opposition enforced strike for three days on the trot on April 22-24 to press for the return of Ilias Ali who along with his car driver went missing on the night of April 17.
“The government has failed to produce Ilias before the nation by our chairperson's four-day deadline. Such forced disappearance is nothing but a crime against humanity,” he said, adding that threatened to go for tougher programs if the government fails to make any progress in tracing Ilias and his driver Ansar Ali by Monday.
BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia on Tuesday announced the demonstration programs. She had also threatened to wage tougher programs if Ilias Ali and his driver were not retuned unharmed to their families by April 28.
Ilias Ali, a former MP and BNP organizing secretary, went missing along with his driver on April 17 midnight. BNP blamed security agencies for the mysterious disappearance of Ilias Ali, an allegation denied by the government.
Asked whether they would enforce such protest programs during the visit of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Bangladesh on May 5, the BNP acting secretary general said they would not announce programs that might undermine Bangladesh’s interest.
BNP leaders Barrister Moudud Ahmed, Barrister Jamiruddin Sircar, Gayeshwar Chandray Roy, Amanullah Aman, Fazlul Huq Milon, Abdus Salam, Nazimuddin Alam and secretaries general and representatives of the components of the 18-party alliance were present at the press conference.
BBN/SSR/AD-28Apr12-11:55 pm (BST)
