BNP's 36-hour blockade begins

The 36-hour nationwide blockade initiated today, Tuesday, has been called by BNP and marks the eleventh round of such blockades, scheduled to conclude at 6:00 pm tomorrow, Wednesday. 

Following a grand rally in Dhaka on 28 October, the BNP commenced a dawn-to-dusk hartal (shutdown) across the country on 29 October. Since then, the party has intermittently organised programmes such as blockades and occasional hartals lasting for one or two days.

These initiatives by the BNP are part of their ongoing efforts to demand the resignation of the government, elections under a non-partisan administration, the release of party leaders and workers, and an end to harassment. 

In a virtual briefing on Monday afternoon, BNP senior joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi expressed concern over the lack of security both at home and in public spaces. He went on to allege that individuals opposing the government are subjected to state surveillance and intimidation. 

Rizvi highlighted that the current number of inmates in the country's jails has reached twice the capacity.

Moreover, he claimed that imprisoned BNP leaders and activists are being neglected for medical treatment, which, according to him, is a deliberate effort to suppress opposition forces and push them towards fatal conditions. 

Regarding seat sharing among Awami League's allies in the election, a BNP leader remarked that the situation has become chaotic for the ruling party. According to the leader, all partners desire the boat symbol, despite advocating for a participatory election. 

BNP leader Rizvi further alleged that the daily commodities market has been monopolised by a syndicate, contributing to ‘one-sided fraudulent’ election expenses.