Senior Correspondent,
bdnews24.com
Published: 2015-01-30 18:13:38.0 BdST
Updated: 2015-01-30 19:56:47.0 BdST
The BNP-led alliance has
called a 72-hour countrywide shutdown from Sunday, a day before 1.5
million students start taking SSC and equivalent examinations.
BNP's Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir announced the
latest agitation in a statement on Friday, minutes after rejecting the education
minister's call to lift the blockade in the interest of the test
takers.
The coalition is enforcing a violent economic blockade which has
claimed at least 40 lives since Jan 5.Rizvi urged the alliance
supporters to 'peacefully' enforce the shutdown starting 6am on
Sunday.
The 20-Party alliance says the shutdown is to protest against
'threats' to destroy BNP chief Khaleda Zia's Gulshan office and arrest
her.
It has been called also to prevent against acts of sabotage 'by any
means', attempts to 'kill' Khaleda's adviser Reaz Rahman, murder of 21 of
activists and arrest of over '15,000', among others.
The BNP and its
smaller partners sat out the 2014 general elections leading to a landslide for
the Awami League and its allies.
The BNP has dubbed the government
"illegal" and since been pressing for a snap election.
Rizvi said, "The
72-hour general strike will be enforced as part of the ongoing movement to
restore democracy and rights to vote."
