BNP, Jamaat call hartal for 19-20 Nov to protest polls schedule

The BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami have called a 48-hour hartal beginning Sunday to protest the announcement of the schedule for the upcoming national election.

The 12-party alliance has announced their plan to enforce the same programme on the same days. Their leaders held a protest march in the capital on Thursday.

Ganatantra Mancha, an alliance of six political parties, and Gono Odhikar Parishad faction led by Nurul Haque Nur will also observe a 48-hour hartal from Sunday. 

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced the hartal at a virtual briefing on Thursday, a day after the Election Commission set the election for 7 January.

Rejecting the election schedule, Rizvi on Wednesday said the country was now headed towards an "inevitable conflict".

"That a fair election can be held under this government is a complete lie. We boycott this biased Election Commission," he said.

The Jamaat-e-Islami also rejected the schedule for the 12th national election schedule.

"The entire nation, including the Jamaat-e-Islami, is rejecting the schedule announced by the Election Commission, which ignored the people's long-standing demand to hold elections under a caretaker government," Jamaat acting Ameer and former MP Mujibur Rahman said in a statement on Wednesday.

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

Earlier this month, the CEC made it clear that it did not have a mandate to resolve the crisis between political parties given the limited time in hand ahead of the 12th parliamentary election.