Staff Reporter :
The countrywide 72-hour hartal has been extended by 48 hours more alongside with the ongoing nonstop blockade by the BNP-led 20-party alliance. Now the hartal will continue till 6:00am on Friday instead of today’s morning.
BNP joint-secretary general Salahuddin Ahmed, on behalf of the alliance, made the announcement in a press statement on Tuesday.
The alliance enforced the 72-hour hartal since Sunday morning protesting killings, mass arrest and torture on its leaders and activists and demanding restoration of democracy in the country.
The shutdown programme was extended for not accepting the demands and protesting the disconnection of communication networks from BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office. With the extension, the hartal has now turned into a nonstop 120-hour hartal.
Earlier, the 20-party observed a 108-hour nonstop hartal last week. The hartal was also called for 72 hours first and then it was extended by 36 hours more. The SSC examinations could not be held on February 1 due to that hartal. And the government had to reschedule the date of another examination last week.
The government also rescheduled two other examinations due to the fresh 72-hour hartal call this week. The examinations will be held on February 13 and 14 instead of February 8 and 10. However, tomorrow’s SSC examination has fallen into an uncertainty due to extension of the hartal.
After the announcement of the hartal extension, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid at a press briefing said that the decision in this regard would be taken today (Wednesday). “We still hope that the 20-party alliance will withdraw the hartal considering the future of the examinees. If they don’t withdraw the hartal in next 24 hours, then we will take decision in this regard,” he said.
He further said that the hartal and blockade should be relaxed at least two hours before and after of the examinations.
