‘BNP statement’ announces another 72-hour shutdown

A statement, purportedly issued by the BNP, has announced another 72-hour nationwide shutdown from Sunday.

The party has enforced general strikes on all working days in the past three weeks along with a transport blockade.
 
The statement, signed by party Joint Secretary General Salahuddin Ahmed, issued on Friday from an undisclosed location said the ‘peaceful all-out shutdown’ would be effective throughout the country from 6am on Sunday to 6am on Wednesday.
 
Ahmed's signature, as in the past, was cut and pasted from another document.
 
The ‘peaceful’ indefinite transport blockade would also continue, the statement added.
 
“Mass-processions will be held on Sunday at district, Upazila, municipality and police station levels across the country and at every ward in cities,” it said.
 
The BNP has been issuing statements for the past three weeks announcing shutdown from Sunday to Wednesday. The shutdowns were then extended to Thursday evenings.
 
The shutdowns are being enforced in addition to the non-stop countrywide transport blockade that the BNP-led 20-Party Alliance has been enforcing since Jan 5, the first anniversary of the last general elections.
 
No leader of the alliance is however willing to talk to media about the shutdowns.
 
BNP acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was arrested on Jan 6, a day after party chief Khaleda Zia announced the blockade demanding snap polls under a neutral caretaker administration.
 
After Alamgir’s arrest, BNP Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi was issuing statements on behalf of the party and the alliance.
 
Salahuddin began to issue statements after detention of Rizvi on Jan 31.
 
Due to the shutdowns, the SSC examinations cannot be held other than on Fridays and Saturdays.