The BNP-led 20-party alliance has called a countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal for Monday in protest against not letting it to hold scheduled Gazipur rally.
 
BNP Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir announced the programme after attending a meeting of the secretaries general of the 20-party alliance at Khaleda Zia's Gulshan office on Saturday afternoon.

He said, "The programme has been announced in protest against not allowing Khaleda Zia to hold a public meeting in Gazipur, arrest of BNP Standing Committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy and other party leaders and demanding their release."

Ambulances  and vehicles carrying media persons and for other emergency services would remain out of purview of hartal, Fakhrul said.

The 20-party was scheduled to hold the rally at Bhawal Badr-E Alam Government College ground in Gzipur on Saturday as part of its countrywide mass campaign to mobilise public support in favour of their demand for holding a fresh  election under a non-party caretaker government

BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia was scheduled to address the rally.

But the rally could not be held as the local administration clamped down section 144 on the rally venue after the ruling party activists announced a similar programme at the same venue and took over it.

LY