Thirty leading cultural personalities yesterday urged BNP to lift their scheduled hartal programme, reconsider its "justification" and settle their disputes with the government through discussions.
"Despite being a democratic right, the issue of its justification of hartal is crucially important," they said in a statement as the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) called a nationwide general strike for November 30.
The statement added the country regained democracy through a protracted campaign and immense losses while it was the responsibilities of all to protect the democratic process.
"We expect joint initiatives of the government in settling all existing crisis and disputes through discussions in a constitutional manner," they said.
The signatories to the statement includes Syed Shamsul Haque, Syed Hassan Imam, Ramendu Majumdar, poets Belal Chowdhury, Mahadeb Saha, Rabiul Hussain, Habibullah Siraji, Muhammad Samad, artist Hashem Khan, Professor Syed Manjurul Islam, Ferdousi Majumdar, Nasiruddin Yusuf, Ataur Rahman, Mafidul Haque, Fakir Alamgir, Pijush Bandapadhay, Golam Quddus, Liakat Ali Lucky, Jhuna Chowdhury, Shimul Yusuf, Afroza Banu, M Hamid, Hassan Arif, Mannan Hira, Pinu Khan, Ashraful Alam, Aslam Sani, Mizanur Rahman, Mahabubul Haidar Mohon and Ahkamullah.
The statement came as different business chambers, including Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, earlier slammed the hartal, calling the planned stoppage would only ruin the bright growth prospect of the national economy.
"This (cantonment house) cannot be an issue for calling hartal," said FBCCI President AK Azad and urged BNP to call off the strike in the greater interest of the country.
Our staff correspondent adds: A number of people under the banner of Shacheton Nagorik Samaj (Conscious Citizen's Society) yesterday demonstrated in an anti-hartal campaign in the city.
Riding in 30 to 40 buses, they chanted slogans against hartal and paraded different city roads while distributing leaflets describing the adverse effects of hartal.
Their slogans were -- “Hartal destroys the country, hartal affects the poor people's livelihood.”
People, mostly activists of Awami League and its associate organisations, attended the anti-hartal campaign, sources said.