12-party alliance, Ganatantra Mancha and Gono Odhikar Parishad call for hartal on 19, 20 Nov

The 12-party alliance has called a hartal on Sunday and Monday (19 and 20 November) in protest against the election schedule announced yesterday.

Leaders of the 12-party coalition held a protest march in the capital on Thursday afternoon to protest the announcement of the schedule.

At the end of the rally, the alliance leaders announced the hartal.

The 12 parties in the alliance are – Jatiya Party (Kazi Zafar), Bangladesh Kalyan Party, Bangladesh Labour Party, Bangladesh Jatiya Dal, NDP, LDP, Bangladesh Muslim League, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh, Islami Oikyajote, Bangladesh Samyabadi Dal, Bangladesh Islamic Party, and Jatiya Ganotantrik Party (JAGPA).

The leaders said, "The Awami League government is conspiring to completely destroy the democratic system by announcing the election schedule ignoring the public opinion."

Meanwhile, Ganatantra Mancha on Thursday called for a 48-hour strike from Sunday to protest against the announcement of the election schedule.

The six-party alliance made the announcement at the end of today's programmes, rejecting the election schedule.

They started a procession outside the Rastra Sanskar Andolan office and ended it after parading various roads in the city by holding a brief rally in front of the Press Club.

The alliance comprises Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD-Rab), Nagorik Oikya, Biplobi Workers Party, Bhasani Onusari Parishad, Rastra Sangskar Andolon, and Gonosanghati Andolon. Addressing the rally, party leaders said they have rejected not only the election schedule but also the Election Commission.

Addressing the rally, leaders of the alliance said the collapse of this "illegitimate government and their obedient Election Commission" is inevitable if the countrymen continue to advance the ongoing movement.

Also, the Gono Odhikar Parishad faction led by Nurul Haque Nur has announced a 48-hour hartal starting from Sunday, demanding the cancellation of the schedule for the 12th parliamentary polls.

Nurul Haque Nur made the announcement following a demonstration in the capital's Bijoynagar area in protest against the polls schedule.

A faction of the Gono Odhikar Parishad held a procession at the capital's Paltan area this afternoon denouncing the election schedule for 7 January announced by the Election Commission yesterday.

During the programme, the parishad's member secretary (acting) Farooq Hasan said, "We denounce this schedule given by the election commission under the Awami government. The people of the country do not agree with this schedule."

The 12th Jatiya Sangsad election will be held on 7 January, the Election Commission announced on Wednesday amid staunch objections from the opposition parties, including the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami.

Rejecting the election schedule, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi warned that the country was now headed towards an "inevitable conflict".

The ruling Awami League welcomed the EC announcement, saying it goes in line with the constitution and elections will be held accordingly.

On 28 October, both the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami called rallies in the capital which were marred by violence.

Many vehicles were torched and two people were left dead, including a police constable.

There was also an attack on the residence of the chief justice, aside from vandalism at a police hospital.

The rallies – called to push home both the parties' demands of ensuring a polls' time government – took a violent turn soon after it began.

Clashes with AL partymen and police took place in different areas of the capital.

Midway into BNP's rally, party Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir suspended the programme and declared a hartal the next day, alleging a police crackdown at their event.

Fakhrul was arrested the next day over the attacks on police the day earlier, alongside hundreds of BNP activists.

The arrest was met by BNP's announcement of a three-day blockade, starting 31 October.

The next day, Jamaat-e-Islami also announced an identical blockage programme.

Since then there have been consecutive blockades.