The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its allies on Sunday announced to enforce general strike for 48 hours beginning on Wednesday morning to protest at the scrapping of the caretaker government provision from the constitution and to push for some other demands.
The BNP, the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the Khelafat Majlish, which split from the Islami Oikya Jote after the Islamic party combine had joined the BNP-led alliance, at separate press conferences in their offices in the capital announced to enforce the general strike.
The Bangladesh Jatiya Party (Naziur) and the Islami Oikya Jote announced to enforce the general strike by separately issuing statements.
The Jamaat-e-Islami, meanwhile, extended its support for the 30-hour general strike 12 Islamist political parties earlier announced to enforce beginning in the morning on July 10.
The BNP was yet to extend its support for the July 10–11 general strike till Sunday evening.
The BNP's acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said that the BNP would make decision in this regard after the 'successful enforcement' of the general strike it had announced to enforce.
This is going to be the first general strike called simultaneously by all the partners of the BNP-led alliance and going to be the longest general strike at a stretch after the assumption of office by the Awami League-led alliance in 2009.
This will be the seventh general strike called by the BNP after the 2008 general elections.
The BNP and its allies but the Islami Oikya Jote earlier enforced 36-hour general strike in June 12–13 in protest at the government's move to scrap the caretaker government provision.
The other issues centring on which the BNP and its allies will enforce the strike
include protest at the 'hurting of religious sentiment of Muslims, price spiral, slide in law and order and shortage of power, gas and fuel and share market scam.'
Announcing the general strike at the press conference in the party's central office at Naya Paltan, Mirza Fakhrul alleged that the AL-led government had brought about the 15th amendment to the constitution at an 'unusual pace to ensure that its stay in power forever.'
He said that many leaders of the ruling Awami League and many partners of the AL-led alliance had opposed the amendment.
'The country will plunge into chaos if the government tries to hold the general elections under its tenure in keeping with the 15th amendment,' he said.
Fakhrul also said, 'The removal of the phrase "absolute trust and faith in the Almighty Allah" from the constitution has hurt the sentiment of the Muslims seriously.'
'At the same time, the removal of the pledge from the constitution that Bangladesh will try to strengthen bilateral relations with Muslim countries has tarnished the image of the distinctive characteristics associated with our nationality,' he said.
'It will affect manpower export to Muslim countries as well,' he added.
He said that the government had pushed the country into uncertainty, unrest and darkness by unilaterally passing the 15th amendment ignoring public opinions.
Fakhrul said that the ruling party's foreign friends were also giving ominous signal after the constitution amendment.
He also demanded that the 15th amendment should be revoked to pave the way for restoration of the caretaker government provision without further delay.
Fakhrul called on the people to make the general strike successful to resist the 'ill motive' of the 'fascist' AL-led government of clinging to power by snatching away the people's voting rights.
The Jamaat-e-Islami's acting secretary general ATM Azharul Islam announced the programme of general strike at a press conference at the party's central office at Moghbazar.
Source : New Age
