BNP calls hartal in capital Sunday

BNP has called a 24-hour hartal in the Dhaka city from Sunday morning to protest the arrest and remand of the party's Vice-President Sadeque Hossain Khoka.
Meanwhile, the main opposition party declared a two-day dawn-to-dusk shutdown in Moulvibazar district from Sunday and daylong shutdown in Titas upazila of Comilla for Sunday demanding release of its senior leaders and withdrawal of cases against them.
Abdus Salam, member secretary of Dhaka city unit of the main opposition party, told reporters that they would enforce the shutdown from 6:00am Sunday to 6:00am Monday.
The BNP also demanded immediate release of Khoka, also Dhaka city convenor of the party.
A Dhaka court yesterday placed Khoka on a two-day remand in connection with an arson attack on a bus at Shahbagh that left three passengers dead and 16 others injured.
Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and detectives arrested the BNP leader from a house at the capital’s Uttara on Wednesday.
On November 28, the bus in Shahbagh carrying 19 people was set on fire and Shahbagh police filed the case for instigating and masterminding the arson attack.
So far, three of the victims succumbed to their injuries at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Meanwhile, in another case filed for murder, the same court sent Khoka to jail rejecting his bail and remand prayers.
Police filed the case against 15 opposition leaders, including BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Khoka, for arson attack on a bus at Malibagh in Dhaka that left a man dead and three injured on November 30.
BNP leaders Mirza Abbas, Salahuddin Ahmed and Barkatullah Bulu are among the others accused.
Police sought a 20-day remand for quizzing Khoka in connection with the two cases.
In Moulvibazar, Moazzem Hossain Matuk, joint convenor of the district BNP, said they will enforce the daylong shutdown on Sunday and Monday press home their demand.
The BNP leader made the announcement at a press briefing at Moulvibazar press club this afternoon.
Upazila BNP today declared dawn-to-dusk hartal for Sunday in Titas upazila of Comilla district demanding release of MK Anwar and other senior leaders, Boshirul Haque, personal secretary of MK Anwar, told The Daily Star.