All supply lines to Khaleda's Gulshan office will be cut off: Hasan Mahmud

An Awami League leader has threatened to cut off water, gas supplies and other facilities to Khaleda Zia’s makeshift house at Gulshan if her party does not call off its agitation programmes ahead of SSC examinations.

Earlier, the power supply to the building where the BNP chairperson is staying was cut off.

Awami League Publicity Secretary Hasan Mahmud gave the warning at a human chain programme of Awami Hawkers League in front of the National Press Club on Saturday.

“If the blockade is not called off before the SSC tests, not only the power line, all supply lines to Khaleda Zia’s office will be cut off,” he said.

“It’s a demand of the people,” he added.

The power line of the Gulshan building, where the BNP chief is staying for around a month, was cut off earlier in the day.

The internet and cable TV connections were also cut off, the party has claimed.

Since Khaleda called a countrywide nonstop blockade, at least 40 people have been killed and hundreds injured in arson attacks targeting vehicles.

The BNP-led alliance is also enforcing shutdowns every now and then.

Ignoring appeal from various quarters to call off the protest programmes during the month-long SSC exams scheduled to start on Monday, the coalition called a 72-hour shutdown across the country from Sunday.

Ruling party leader Mahmud demanded arrest and trial of Khaleda Zia for the loss of lives in violence during the blockade.

“Otherwise people will surround her and hand her over to law,” he said.

He also expressed satisfaction over the arrest of BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi earlier in the day.

He demanded arrest of those ‘still ordering killing of people in the name of politics’.