BNP, Jamaat bring out processions in Dhaka to enforce hartal
Buses and pickup vans were set on fire in different parts of the country, including the capital Dhaka ahead of the strike on Saturday evening
The BNP and Jamaat parties have started multiple processions in order to enforce their declared 48-hour hartal in order to protest polls scheduled announced by the Election Commission.
They brought out processions in the capital's Mirpur, Badda, Rampura, Uttara, Pallabi, Kafrul, Mohammadpur and Gulshan, among other spots.
Chhatra Dal brought out a procession in Fakirapool to support the nationwide 48-hour hartal demanding the resignation of the government, election under a non-partisan, neutral government and the cancellation of the election schedule.
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Former general secretary and national executive committee member of Chhatra Dal Iqbal Hossain Shyamal was present at the procession.
Maruf Elahi Roni and Shyamal Malum, Chhatra Dal's central council vice-presidents, also led the procession.
Chhatra Dal leaders and activists from Dhaka University, Dhaka College and Titumir College were present in the Fakirapool procession.
Tejgaon College Chhatra Dal also brought out a procession in the morning by blocking the road and railway line in the Tejgaon Railway Station and surrounding areas.
Sechchasebak Dal brought out a procession in in Green Road area of Dhanmondi in support of the hartal on Sunday (19 November).
Jamaat Dhaka Metropolitan North organised a protest procession in the Mirpur region in the early morning. The procession started from the Mirpur-2 bus stand and concluded in front of the Masjid Market with a street meeting.
The Jamaat protest in the Badda region was led by Nazim Uddin Molla, a member of the central Majlis-e-Shura and assistant secretary of Dhaka Metropolitan North Jamaat.
In Rampura, the party's protest procession was led by Jamaat leader F Ahmed.
Earlier yesterday (18 November), buses and pickup vans were set on fire in different parts of the country, including the capital Dhaka ahead of the hartal.
Police, RAB and BGB are on alert to control the law and order situation.
This is the second round of hartal called by the BNP and its allies since 28 October following its grand rally, which was marred by clashes.
The party and its allies have also enforced five rounds of blockades in the last 20 days. The strike has also been called to put pressure on the government to step down, hand over power to a non-partisan administration, and release all BNP leaders and activists, including its secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
Left-leaning parties like the Ganatantra Mancha and Gono Odhikar Parishad, will also enforce the hartal.
Two buses were set on fire in the capital's Gulistan and Agargaon areas in yesterday evening. A series of arson incidents occurred since the beginning of several phases of hartal and blockade programmes after the 28 October grand rallies of the BNP and Jamaat.
Party leaders and activists last evening brought out processions in various places in the country in support of the strike.
The BNP brought out a torch procession at Chowdhuripara in Dhaka's Malibagh on 18 November evening. Abdul Quader Bhuiyan Jewel, former Chhatra Dal president and BNP's assistant volunteer affairs secretary, led the procession.
In the aftermath of the polls' schedule announcement, the high commands of the BNP and Jamaat have instructed the leaders of their various units to remain on the streets, even if they have to brace the risks of being arrested, party sources told The Business Standard.
They said there were instructions for top- and middle-level leaders to avoid arrest until the announcement of the election schedule. But now, as the schedule has been announced, they have been given strict instructions to stay on the streets at any cost.
With the announcement of the schedule, the BNP has made many changes in its strategy. The message has been given to leaders at all levels that instead of the party's "short-term" movement, it should now be on the streets for a "long time." Along with the movement, the BNP has planned to keep its activists on the streets until the demands are met through movement as well as diplomatic pressure.
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi today said the people of the country will resist one-sided elections with all their might, pointing to the heavy-handedness of law enforcers in dealing with opposition leaders and activists.
"People have taken to the streets for their rights in our movement. If the elections are not held under a caretaker government, the government will fall. Withdraw the polls' schedule you have announced; postpone elections and resign first. Otherwise, there will be no one-sided election in Bangladesh with this schedule. The people will resist with all their might," the BNP leader warned the government through a virtual press conference.
Rizvi accused police of taking money from party leaders and activists. "After arresting opposition party men, the police are taking Tk1 lakh, Tk50,000, Tk30,000 from some [of them]. If they can't pay, they are thrown in jail on false charges. The country's prisons are overflowing with powerful opposition leaders. This is a grave disaster," he alleged.
According to the opposition party, over 15,000 BNP-Jamaat leaders and activists have been arrested across the country since the 28 October grand rallies. In a span of 24 hours until Saturday 334 party activists were arrested, it said.
Some 17 leaders and activists, including a journalist, were reportedly killed during the period.
