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Bangladeshi opposition extends nationwide strike

Xinhua, February 10, 2015 Adjust font size:

Bangladesh's main opposition has extended its ongoing 72-hour nationwide strike till Thursday evening protesting filing of cases against ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and other leaders.

Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Spokesperson Salahuddin Ahmed made the announcement in a press release on Tuesday.

BNP and its allies has declared the 72-hour road, rail and waterway strike from Sunday morning against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's some ruling Bangladesh Awami League (AL) party leaders' threats to arrest Khaleda Zia, also BNP chief amid its ongoing blockade campaign.

The strike has been extended hours after Bangladeshi Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan Tuesday demanded immediate arrest of Zia and urged Hasina take steps in this regard for the sake of country.

Another AL leader AB Siddique Monday sued Zia and three other leaders for allegedly killing 42 people in the fresh wave of violence during the BNP-led 20-party combine-enforced anti- government movement since Jan. 5.

Zia's opposition alliance has been observing the nonstop blockade across the country since Jan. 5 demanding fresh elections under a non-party caretaker government system.

The fresh wave of violence has left scores of people dead and hundreds injured as anti-government protesters battled with law enforcers, attacked rivals, torched vehicles and targeted railway. Endi