24-hr hartal from 6pm tomorrow
Over 25 pro-liberation organisations last night decided to call for a countrywide 24-hour hartal, from 6:00pm tomorrow (Friday), to resist Hefajat-e-Islam's Dhaka long march on Saturday.
The Islamist party had earlier announced the long march programme to press home its 13-point demand including arrest and trial of bloggers for “defaming” Islam and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
Organisations including Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee, Sammilito Sangskritik Jote, Prajanma Ekattor and Peshajibi Somonnoy Parishad will make formal announcement on the hartal at a press conference at the TSC premises of Dhaka University at 10:30am today.
Shariar Kabir, acting president of Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee, said the strike would be called to resist the Dhaka long march of Hefajat-e-Islam and demanding a ban on Jamaat-e-Islami.
The long march is against the bloggers and Shahbagh movement, who demanded capital punishment to all war criminals and thereby, it (long march) is against the spirit of the Liberation War, he pointed out.
The long march is in fact a programme of Jamaat-e-Islami, said Sammilito Sangskritik Jote President Nasiruddin Yusuf Bachchu.
Though the organisations sought support from Sector Commanders' Forum (SCF) for the hartal, the latter refused.
Talking to The Daily Star, senior vice-president of SCF Maj Gen (retd) KM Shafiullah said, “They [pro-liberation organisations] didn't discuss the strike with us and we have asked them not to use the forum's name with this hartal.”
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