Another spell of blockade beginning tomorrow

 
The BNP has will enforce another spell of 48-hour nationwide transport blockade from tomorrow.

Senior Joint General Secretary of the party Ruhul Kabir Rizvi came up with the announcement virtually on Monday.

The party also called for human chain demonstrations on Dec 10, World Human Rights Day, in all districts focusing on the family members of the missing people, arrestees and those who faced human rights violations.

The BNP has been staging a series of political programmes after a rally in Dhaka on Oct 28 broke out in violence. The opposition called a hartal the following day. Many of the party's leaders were arrested following clashes with the police and the rest went into hiding. Rizvi has been announcing the party's subsequent programmes by virtual meeting since then. So far, the party has organised transport blockades on 18 days and hartals on four others. Monday's announcement marked the BNP's 10th round of blockades since Oct 28.

The intensity of these programmes has slowly diminished over time. Few party leaders and activists can be seen on the streets. Though party leaders have called on activists to demonstrate their bravery, there has been little overt action. With the effect of blockade and hartal programmes waning, the streets of Dhaka are witnessing more traffic, with logjams occurring in different parts of the capital as well.

However, the BNP aims to continue protesting to demand the resignation of the government and the installation of a caretaker government even as the Election Commission prepares to hold the election on Jan 7.