BNP hits Bangladesh with non-stop blockade

The BNP has hit Bangladesh with an indefinite blockade of highways, railways and waterways after Khaleda Zia was stopped from attending a planned street protest.

The party chief, whose Gulshan office has been besieged by security forces for the last two days, announced the fresh agitations Monday, the first anniversary of the last general elections.

She alleged the government thwarted the BNP rally as it "did not have the people's support".

Khaleda said, “Today we planned black-flag processions but we have been barred. The blockade will continue until further notice. We will hold our rally when we have favourable situation.”

“We just wanted to hold a rally. But the government didn’t let us, why?”

Questioning the purpose of the government providing her 'security’, she said, “I saw on television that the government says I have not been confined, they are providing security. For what? They didn’t care until now. They only think of (my) security right before our programmes and shut off everything.”

"What kind of security is this?" she asked.

However, neither the BNP chief nor senior party leaders clarify whether they plan to call off the blockade for the three-day Biswa Ijtema starting Friday at Tongi.

The second largest congregation of Muslims attracts Muslims from all over the world. Khaleda also joins the concluding prayers.

Around 3:45pm, the BNP chairperson got into her white SUV to leave for the party programmes but police had locked the gates several hours earlier.

Several BNP leaders tried to reason with police to get them open the gates, but to no avail.

A while later, a group of the party's woman front Mohila Dal leaders started shouting slogans and protesting. They attempted to kick down the gates from the inside, but police used pepper spray to disperse them.

The law enforcers used pepper spray again when the women leaders resumed protests 15 minutes later.

Khaleda sat in her car amid the melee. She got out after nearly an hour and gave a 22-minute-long speech standing on a tool.

“I came to office the day before yesterday (Saturday). I got in my car to go to Paltan to see (Ruhul Kabir) Rizvi who was sick. But then I saw police close the road off with their vehicles. I don’t know why.”

Police ratcheted up security around Khaleda's office on Saturday night after she announced blag-flag marches and rallies to mark the first anniversary of the last general election. Since then she has been virtually confined inside her own office.

Apart from the heavy police presence in front and around her office, both ends of Road-86 at Gulshan, where its situated, were also blocked with 11 trucks.

The bdnews24.com correspondent from the scene said police locked the gates of her office around 12pm.

Khaleda, speaking to reporters, said, “We always held peaceful rallies. They could’ve held their rally if they wanted, we didn’t object. If we had held our rallies separately, everything would have ended right there. But they didn’t let us hold ours.”

There is no good governance in the country under the present government, she said.

“Not just me, the whole country is under siege today. This oppressive government has turned the country into a prison. This cannot go on.”

The former prime minister alleged the Awami League supporters with police’s help had attacked her supporters while they were observing the planned programmes across the country.

Dhaka City police had also embargoed gatherings after the ruling Awami League and the BNP announced parallel programmes for Monday.

Despite the ban, ruling party activists came out on the Dhaka streets in large numbers while BNP supporters were active on and off.

Khaleda said the people had "spontaneously" responded to her party's call for agitations.

“Why are they (government) scared to hold election? We could discuss and finalise the makeup of the nonpartisan government under which the election will take place. What happened in the past can be corrected.”

“But they are avoiding that path and trying to repress the people with bullets, teargas, attacks and cases,” she alleged.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday claimed Khaleda was staging a drama by staying in her office and that the BNP chief was free to leave anytime.

The government maintains it is for police to decide whether or not she was safe after she had sought police security last week over court appearance. And police on Monday locked up the gate of her office.

Khaleda also scolded the police members outside the gate for using pepper spray on her supporters.

She also came into contact with the sprayed pepper and sneezed and wiped her nose and eyes several times during the speech.

“We are not in conflict with police. But police members who are from a specific district and former Chhatra League members are tarnishing the police force’s reputation and image. The police must understand this.”

“Why are you getting involved in this? What pleasure are you getting by using pepper spray?” she asked the police officials deputed there.

Khaleda continued, “I’m confined because people will gather in huge numbers if I join the programmes. The government is scared of people because (it) is not on a strong footing.”

She asked the government to unlock her office’s gates and also lift the bars so that her party could carry on with its programmes.

When a journalist asked her what it was like to living in her office, she said, “I’m passing a very tough time here. I am in great distress. But I am still staying.”