18-party calls 36hr hartal from Tuesday

BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain speaks at a press briefing at the party Nayapaltan headquarters in the capital on Sunday. Photo: Banglar Chokh

The opposition alliance will enforce a 36-hour hartal from Tuesday protesting denial of bail to seven top BNP leaders including its acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain announced the shutdown after a secretary general-level meeting of the BNP-led 18-party alliance on Sunday afternoon.

Earlier in the afternoon, a Dhaka court rejected the bail prayers of BNP leaders Mirza Fakhrul, Mirza Abbas, Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, Amanullah Aman, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, Abdullah Al Noman and Moazzem Hossain Alal in several vandalism cases.

The court however granted bail to three BNP lawmakers -- Moudud Ahmed, Barkatullah Bulu and Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee -- in the cases.