20-party threatens fresh hartal from Sunday

The BNP-led 20-party alliance has once again threatened to enforce a fresh shutdown from Sunday if its demands including holding elections under a nonparty administration are not fulfilled.

“We will be compelled to enforce tougher programmes including hartals from March 8 if the government does not realise our demands,” said Salahuddin Ahmed, joint secretary general of BNP, in a statement this afternoon.

He also said the 20-party alliance’s ongoing “peaceful mass movement” including blockade will continue until the establishment of a “real democratic state system”.

The alliance has been enforcing countrywide blockade since January 6 and shutdowns on all working days since February 1.

More than 100 people have been killed in the political violence during the last two months.