Report in The Daily Star, Nov 17, 2023
The BNP yesterday called a 48-hour nationwide hartal from 6:00am Sunday protesting the unveiling of the polls schedule by the Election Commission.
Party Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced the programme at a virtual press briefing.
Rizvi said the party will enforce the strike also to mount pressure on the government to step down, hand over power to a non-party neutral government and release all arrested BNP leaders and activists, including Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
The announcement came on the last day of the of the BNP’s 48-hour nationwide blockade.
At least 11 vehicles were torched in several districts in 24 hours preceding 6:00pm yesterday. Also, three carriages of a train stationary at the Gharinda Railway Station in Tangail sadar upazila got burnt in a fire. Police suspect it was an act of arson.
This was the fifth round of blockade of road, rail and waterways enforced by the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami since October 30 demanding resignation of the government and general election under a non-party neutral administration.
The Jamaat and some other opposition parties, including Ganatantra Mancha and Gono Odhikar Parishad, have also called a 48-hour nationwide hartal from 6:00am Sunday protesting the unveiling of the schedule for the general election.
The Left Democratic Alliance (LDA), a platform of left-leaning political parties, has announced that it will take out processions across the country on Sunday demanding cancellation of the polls schedule.
Yesterday, the party enforced a countrywide half-day hartal. At least 20 LDA leaders and activists were injured as police used truncheons on their procession in Narayanganj city.
Ganatantra Mancha enforced a countrywide daylong hartal yesterday protesting the declaration of the polls schedule. However, party leaders and activists were hardly seen picketing on the streets in the capital and other parts of the country.
Besides, six Islamist parties — Khelafat Majlish, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, Muslim League, Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh and Nejam-e-Islami — will take out processions in the capital today protesting the announcement of the polls schedule.
The BNP claimed that at least 12,505 party leaders and activists were arrested across the country from October 28 till yesterday afternoon and 281 cases were filed against the party men during the same period. Of them, 490 were held yesterday.
According to Fire Service and Civil Defence, 11 vehicles were torched in 24 hours preceding 6:00pm yesterday. Of them, three trucks and two human hauliers were torched in Bogura, Jhalakathi, Chapainawabganj, and Chandpur yesterday.
In Tangail, three carriages of a commuter train, stopped at the Gharinda Railway Station, were burned in a fire early yesterday.
Noticing smoke coming from the passenger-less Tangail Commuter Train around 2:50am, staffers of the station went to the scene and found two carriages in flames.
On information, fire engines rushed to the scene and doused the flames around 3:00am, said the railway authorities.
Shah Sufi Noor, divisional manager (Pakshi) of Bangladesh Railway, told reporters that they suspected it to be an act of arson.
He also said a three-member probe committee was formed to investigate the incident.
Abdur Rahman, general secretary of Noakhali District BNP, at a press conference alleged that 22 homes and businesses of party leaders and activists were vadalised by Awami League men in the district town and different upazilas on Wednesday night after the declaration of the polls schedule.
The number of vehicles on the streets in the capital was quite low yesterday. A few long-haul buses left the capital.
A total of 229 platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh were deployed across the country to help law enforcers maintain law and order.
The Rab yesterday arrested 18 people on charges of vandalism and torching vehicles from different places across the country, according to a press release. With this, the force picked up 474 people between October 28 and yesterday.
The Rab is also escorting long-haul buses and tankers.
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/politics/news/bnp-goes-48-hour-hartal-sunday-3471626
