BNP, Jamaat bring out processions as 48hr hartal underway a day before polling
12 party alliance also brought out a procession in the Press Club, Paltan area to support the hartal
BNP-Jamaat and a few other political parties are observing the first day of a 48-hour hartal advocating for an election boycott.
BNP started the first day of the hartal with a procession led by its Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi. The procession started at the Shahbagh intersection and ended in Banglamotor.
During the procession, BNP activists picketed and set tires on fire.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
"The government has once again started playing with fire. It is indulging in its old game of organising one-sided elections," Rizvi said during the rally.
"People of the country believe that yesterday's fire incident and casualties on the Benapole Express train are part of the government's same old tactics," he said while blaming the government for the past political unrest in 2014-15.
BNP Health Secretary Dr Md Rafiqul Islam, Central Executive Committee members Akramul Hasan Mintu, Khan Robiul Islam Robi, Joint General Secretary of the Central Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal Dr Tauhidur Rahman Awal, Coordinator of the Tati Dal Abul Kalam Azad, and Member Secretary of the Matsyajibi Dal Abdur Rahim was present during the BNP procession.
Later on the day, BNP leaders and activists brought out another procession on Malibagh. The procession started in front of the Ansar Headquarters on Malibagh Biswa Road and ended at the Malibagh market.
Meanwhile, Dhaka Metropolitan South Jamaat brought out a procession this morning to support the 48-hour hartal. Besides its call for boycotting the election, Jamaat also demanded the release of all political prisoners, including its Ameer.
The processions and picketing by the activists of Jamaat-e-Islami took place in the capital's Sadarghat, Sayedabad, Khilgaon, Malibagh-Rajarbagh, Matuail, Sabujbag-Mugda, Demra, Midford, Dhanmondi, Hazaribagh, Shahjahanpur, and Shanir Akhra.
12 party alliance also brought out a procession in the Press Club, Paltan area, to support the hartal.
"People will not go to the polling stations to vote in this dummy election tomorrow. They have boycotted this election," said Shahadat Hossain Selim, spokesperson of the 12-party alliance and general secretary of Bangladesh LDP.
"Awami League has been politically defeated. Therefore, they want to complete the election by deceiving the public. However, this government will not be able to stay in power after the election. Foreigners have turned their backs on this government," he added.
In a virtual press briefing on Thursday (4 January), BNP Senior Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced that the party and its allies will observe hartal from Saturday 6am to Monday 6am.
According to BNP-Jamaat sources, their primary objective is not to disrupt voting but to convince citizens to abstain from voting and ultimately achieve low voter turnout at polling stations.
Strategically increasing their visibility through large street gatherings, the opposition coalition aims to draw international attention by highlighting any potential confrontations with authorities or ruling party men, hoping to gain diplomatic support.
BNP-Jamaat sources also hinted at a potential nationwide hartal on 8 January, aiming to sustain the momentum of their movement even after the polls end.
