Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)- The BNP-led 20-party alliance has called a countrywide 72-hour strike, popularly known as hartal, from Sunday protesting threats by the Awami League leaders to arrest Khaleda Zia.
In a statement, BNP joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, on behalf of the alliance, announced the shutdown programme.
The hartal also meant to protest attacks on the houses and offices of senior BNP leaders and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s recent statements asking police to “do whatever needed to stop the violence”.
The hartal comes on top of the alliance’s countrywide indefinite blockade.
At least 35 people, including 23 without reported link to politics, have died in the political violence that came up from the start of this year, a year after the January 5 national polls.
Earlier in the day, the party turned down Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid’s call to lift the blockade programme for smooth holding of the Secondary Scholl Certificate (SSC) exams, saying the ‘peaceful’ action programme will continue.
In another statement, Mr. Rizvi said, “The peaceful blockade that we’ve waged with a firm resolve will continue. This blockade is meant for restoring peace in the country, ensuring security and due honour of people.
He said no threat and the joint forces’ repressive acts will be able to stop the movement.
On Thursday, Nahid urged the BNP-led 20-party alliance to withdraw their non-stop transport blockade programme by the next three days considering the examinees’ future as the SSC examination is scheduled to begin on Monday.
“Only three days are left, I hope, they’ll withdraw the blockade by this time considering the students’ interest,” he told a press briefing at the Secretariat.
The SSC and its equivalent examinations will begin simultaneously under the country’s 10 education boards, including one of madrasah and another technical board, on February 2 amid tensions and anxiety among the examinees and their guardians over the turbulent political situation.
A total of 1,479, 266 students have registered their names under the 10 educational boards to appear in the examinations in 3,116 centres from 27,808 institutions across the country. Of the total students, 7, 63, 339 are boys and the 7, 15, 927 girls.
BBN/SSR/AD-30Jan15-7:21 pm (BST)