Hartal extends till Friday morning

The ongoing countrywide 72-hour hartal called by BNP-led 20-party alliance has been extended by 48 hours till 6:00am Friday demanding immediate release of its leaders and activists as well as a snap national election under a non-party administration and ‘resorting democracy and people’s voting right’ and protesting government’s repressive acts.

A press release, signed by BNP Joint Secretary General Salahuddin Ahmed, on behalf of the alliance, made the declaration of the extension of the shutdown programme on Tuesday.

According to the press release, the hartal is also meant for registering the 20-party`s protest against mass arrest of opposition men and common people, interference in the judiciary, control over the media and torture on journalists and the plot to kill BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia by stopping food supply to her office where she has been staying since February 15.

The hartal is going on alongside the BNP alliance’s nonstop countrywide transport blockade.