BNP calls 36-hour shutdown

The BNP-led 20-Party Alliance has decided to impose another general strike across Bangladesh amid its ongoing violent blockade campaign.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 24 Jan 2015, 07:42 AM
Updated : 24 Jan 2015, 07:42 AM

In a statement on Saturday, BNP's Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said they would enforce the 36-hour shutdown from Sunday morning.

He urged activists of BNP and other fraternal parties to "peacefully" enforce the strike.

The BNP, which sat out the last general elections, has been enforcing an indefinite blockade since Jan 5 to press for a dialogue over their demand of an interim election.

An initial statement said the shutdown was to protest "hike in power tariff, large scale arrests of opposition activists and 'government conspiracies for sabotage'.

But later another statement was issued saying the move was to protest "government plans to raise power prices".

At least 35 people have been killed in blockade-related violence and over a hundred people have been injured in arson.

Forty of them suffered burns on Friday in a series of violent attacks by pro-blockade elements.

A school teacher was killed in Feni during the BNP's countrywide shutdown on Dec 29 last year.

The party enforced a two-day general strike last week as well.

BNP chief Khaleda Zia has announced to continue the blockade even as the number of deaths rise and businesses continue to suffer.