Bangladesh opposition extends nationwide strike till Friday morning
Xinhua, February 17, 2015 Adjust font size:
Ex-prime minister Khaleda Zia's 20- party opposition alliance on Tuesday announced to extend its ongoing 72-hour nationwide strike till Friday morning in protest against political repression.
Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) spokesperson Salahuddin Ahmed made the announcement in a press release on Tuesday, saying the alliance decided to extend its ongoing 72-hour strike by 48 hours protesting what it said killing party men in the name of shootouts, mass arrest of leaders and activists, controls on media and the "government interference in judiciary".
The BNP and its allies on Saturday declared the 72-hour road, rail and waterway strike from Sunday morning amid its ongoing blockade campaign that entered the 43rd day on Tuesday.
The opposition alliance has been observing the nonstop blockade across the country since Jan. 5, demanding fresh elections under a non-party caretaker government system.
On top of its blockade campaign, the BNP and its 19 allies including key Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami party have been observing strike at regular intervals since the last month.
The fresh wave of violence has left scores of people dead and hundreds of others injured. Endi