BNP, Jamaat call fresh blockade, targeting polls schedule announcement

Anticipating the Election Commission's imminent announcement of the next general election schedule, the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami have declared a fresh 48-hour nationwide blockade on Wednesday and Thursday.

At a virtual press briefing on Monday, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced the fifth round of blockade of roads, rail lines, and waterways to press home the party's one-point demand – resignation of the government and elections under a non-partisan neutral administration.

The blockade will be enforced from 6am Wednesday to 6am on Friday, Rizvi said.

Last week, the Election Commission expressed its determination to announce the schedule this week. Responding to queries by journalists about the announcement of the schedule, EC Secretary Md Jahangir Alam yesterday said, "The commission has affirmed that the schedule will be announced in the first half of November. There is still time; please wait."

Jamaat also expressed its solidarity with the BNP programme in a press release, signed by its acting secretary general ATM Masum, issued on Monday right after BNP's announcement.

The fresh blockade announcement came just hours before the conclusion of a two-day nationwide blockade on Monday, which was marred by widespread incidents of arson and violence across the country.

Fourteen vehicles, including buses, were torched during the two-day blockade from Sunday to Monday, said the Fire Service and Civil Defence.

The presence of public transport on Dhaka roads seemed normal despite heightened tension and fear of violence. However, the fourth phase blockade witnessed a slight increase in the operations of mid- and long-distance buses.

Responding to a query, Harun-or-Rashid, additional commissioner of the Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said, "Dhaka is a big city and torching a handful of run-down buses in isolated areas would not benefit anyone."

The BNP has alleged that more than 11,000 leaders and activists of the party have been arrested in countrywide raids by police and Rapid Action Battalion in the past three weeks.

Ruhul Kabir Rizvi in the virtual briefing on Monday said police raids, harassment and arrests of the family members of the BNP leaders and activists continued in districts. 

Police authorities stopped sharing updated figures of arrests and cases for the last two days. However, Harun-or-Rashid told reporters on Monday that they would continue raids against people involved in violence, arson attacks and vandalism.

A BNP leader has been killed and 480 activists have been arrested nationwide in the last 24 hours, Rizvi claimed.

The BNP leader also said 13 leaders and activists, including one journalist, have been killed and approximately 12,000 leaders and activists have been arrested since 28 October, when the party held a mass rally in Dhaka.

Rizvi criticised the Awami League leader who was seen openly leading a procession with arms in Mymensingh's Nandail on Sunday.

The BNP leader also called on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to test her popularity by conducting elections under a caretaker government.

Rizvi said the government is indiscriminately filing cases against opposition men across the country out of fear of losing power.

Political turmoil has engulfed the country since 28 October when opposition demonstrations were marked by clashes, deaths and violence. 

The BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami and other like-minded parties have been declaring hardline political programmes since then to realise their demands.