Though their shutdown programmes are drawing poor response, the BNP-led 20-party alliance on Thursday threatened to enforce yet another spell of hartal from Sunday if the government does not meet its various demands, including snap polls.
In a statement, BNP joint secretary General Salahuddin Ahmed issued the threat. He also said their ongoing ‘peaceful’ non-stop blockade which was enforced on January 6 will continue to mount pressure on the government to concede to their demands.
The 20-party has already enforced five consecutive spells of hartal on working days-from 6m Sunday to 6m Friday-since February 1.
In the statement, Salahuddin said, “We’ll be forced to enforce tougher programmes, including hartal, from March 8 on Sunday, if all the mass demands, including holding a free, fair and inclusive election under a non-party administration and ensuring people’s all basic and human rights, are not met.” The alliance’s fifth spell of 120-hour hartal that began at 6am on Sunday will end at 6am Friday. The hartal is going on alongside the BNP alliance’s non-stop countrywide transport blockade.
BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia enforced the blockade for an indefinite period on January 5 after having failed to come out of her Gulshan office to join a planned rally of the 20-party alliance in the city to mark ‘Democracy Killing Day’.
