Islamist parties threaten to call hartal for Dec 20
Twelve like-minded Islamist parties yesterday threatened to enforce a hartal on Thursday if the left-leaning political parties do not withdraw their Tuesday's hartal.
The Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) and Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) on December 7 called a countrywide daylong hartal for December 18 [Tuesday] demanding ban on communal politics including that of the Jamaat-e-Islami, and quick disposal of the war crimes trials.
While paying tribute to the martyred intellectuals at Rayerbazar mass grave yesterday, the leaders of these two parties hoped that people would strongly response against Jamaat-e-Islami by making the hartal a success. They alleged that Jamaat was becoming desperate to foil the ongoing war crimes trial.
The Gonotantrik Bam Morcha also called a countrywide dawn-to-dusk shutdown for the same day [Tuesday] to realise their seven-point demand including that for stopping power, oil and gas price hike. The party yesterday held a procession and is also set to hold a rally today in front of the Jatiya Press Club in favour of the hartal.
Meanwhile, Zafarullah Khan, member of the 12 like-minded Islamist parties, yesterday told The Daily Star that they would formally announce their dawn-to-dusk hartal for Thursday at a press conference on Tuesday if the left parties do not withdraw their hartal.
Against such backdrop, the city dwellers are likely to suffer three hartals next week while Sunday is going to be a holiday for the Victory Day.
An organisation named Gorbo Bangladesh Biplobi Dal called a half-day hartal in the capital for December 17 [Monday] demanding Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's retirement from politics.
On Wednesday, spokespersons of the organisation Shaheda Obaid and Kamrul Hasan announced the eight-hour hartal at a press conference in Dhaka Reporters Unity.
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