BNP, Jamaat call for 48hr blockade from Sunday

Pausing their protests for two days, the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami will again enforce a 48-hour countrywide road-rail-waterway blockade beginning from Sunday to mount pressure on the government to quit and hold the next general elections under a non-partisan administration.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced the programme at a virtual press briefing on Thursday evening.

The Jamaat-e-Islami also issued a press release, signed by its acting secretary general ATM Masum, with the blockade announcement on Thursday.

Rizvi said the blockade programme will be observed from 6am Sunday to 6am Tuesday across the country. Other like-minded opposition parties, including Jamaat, will observe the same programme.

Besides, both parties will arrange prayers on Friday in mosques after Jummah in memory of "opposition leaders and activists who have been killed" in police firing since 28 October. 

Rizvi claimed the opposition blockade was successful with the full support of the country's people. "It also proved that our demand is justified."

He thanked the leaders and activists of the BNP and like-minded parties for making the blockade programme a success, reports UNB.

The fresh agitation was announced at the end of a three-day nationwide blockade on Thursday that has been marked by widespread incidents of violence, including clashes, arson and vandalism.

The party also enforced the nationwide dawn-to-dusk hartal on 29 October in protest against the "attacks" on its 28 October grand rally at Nayapaltan.

At the press briefing, Rizvi claimed that nine members of the BNP have been killed across the country since 28 October.

Three-day blockade ends

On Thursday, there were incidents of chase and counter-chase between police and opposition activists, as well as clashes, vandalism, arson, and road blockades in different parts of the country.

Human chains, road marches and rallies were also held for and against the blockade. Law enforcement forces were deployed in various places, including on roads and highways.

While public transport movement in the capital's Mirpur, Dhanmondi, Shahbagh, Paltan, and Malibagh areas increased slightly compared to the last two days, private vehicle movement remained low. 

At the Syedabad and Gabtoli bus terminals, passenger presence increased in the afternoon, although no long-haul buses departed in the morning.

BNP and Jamaat activists were seen marching, carrying sticks, in different parts of the country. Bricks, tree stumps, and burning tires were used to block roads.

Since Thursday morning, the Chhatra Dal, the student wing of the BNP, has held processions in the capital's Khilgaon, Kantaban, Khilkhet, and Tejgaon college areas. 

The BNP also held protest marches at various places in Gazipur's Kaliakoir, as well as on the Dhaka-Chattogram and Dhaka-Narayanganj highways. 

In addition, there were processions and tire-burnings in support of the blockade at various places in the capital, including Dhanmondi, and on the Dhaka-Tangail highway.

According to the Fire Service and Civil Defence, 34 fire incidents occurred in which several vehicles, including buses, were burned in the last three days of the blockade.