DHAKA: The main opposition Bangladesh National Party (BNP) is set to observe its scheduled countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal on June 27.
The party leaders and activists have already taken all-out preparation to make a “success” the first nationwide general strike by the mainstream opposition against the seventeen-month-old Awami League-led Grand Alliance government.
The hartal has been called on a number of issues and demands that include ensuring supply of gas, electricity and water, to stop extortion, tender manipulation and grabbing allegedly by the ruling party `terrorists`, scrapping `anti-nation` agreements signed with India and containing the price hike of essentials.
The opposition leader Khaleda Zia from a grand rally at Paltan Maidan on May 19 had announced the anti-government movement.
In the present government era it was the first time countrywide general strike ‘hartal’. On the other hand BNP also observed a half-day hartal in old part of Dhaka protesting the attack on Bogra BNP activists while they were going to join Rajshahi grand-rally and the killing of Ward commissioner Ahamed hossain.
Khaleda Zia warned that the government would be held responsible if any unwanted situation arises through impeding the hartal, as her minions in the party and allies prepared to enforce the shutdown.
“We want to hold a peaceful hartal against the ruling government and the programme should not be interfered with,” she said at a press conference at her Gulshan office on Friday afternoon.
Besides, the opposition leader also held various sessions with their associates parties and organizations to make the hartal successful and peaceful.
In those meetings, the like-minded parties and organizations assured Khaleda Zia of giving support during hartal. Besides the main opposition party has taken huge supporting program in hand from 23 June to success hartal.
The former PM on 24 June in a meeting also called upon all including policy makers and metropolitan leaders to come forward to make the hartal a success.
BDST: 1020, 26 June 2010
MM/TA/SMS
