BNP's call for shutdown over ‘rigged’ city election draws lukewarm response

The BNP is observing a daylong general strike in Dhaka on Sunday citing ‘electoral fraud’ in Saturday’s elections but the shutdown has had little impact on city life.

According to police, there have been no reports of any untoward incident so far while vehicular movement is normal in the major thoroughfares although traffic was slightly lower at the start of the strike at 6 am.

Members of law enforcement were put on alert over the last few days due to the city elections and policemen were still seen at different intersections in the capital on Sunday morning.

Several BNP activists, including Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, have sat in front of the party’s central office in Naya Paltan and shouted slogans in support of the strike .

However, there have not been reports of similar activities elsewhere in the capital.

Mirza Fakhrul announced the strike from an impromptu media briefing at the party’s Naya Paltan headquarters on Saturday after the conclusion of the polls.

The BNP said its agents were driven out of the polling stations while its supporters were being barred from casting their ballots.

Mirza alleged “horrific” vote rigging, forgery and intimidation during the polls.

“We strongly condemn it,” he said, urging the residents of the capital to join the shutdown peacefully “to establish democracy.”

It is the first shutdown called by the opposition party after it had faced widespread criticism for deadly protests for months in early 2015.

Awami League backed candidates Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh and Atiqul Islam have been elected as mayors for Dhaka South and Dhaka North respectively after beating their BNP rivals Ishraque Hossain and Tabith Awal by huge margins.