BNP enforces hartal today in Rajshahi, Rangpur divisions

Main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) will enforce a daylong shutdown in Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions today to press its various demands, including release of the central leaders, reports our staff correspondent in Rajshahi.
The announcement of the hartal came from a press release issued yesterday afternoon.
BNP Rajshahi chapter at a press conference on April 17 threatened to enforce hartal in the two divisions if party's central leaders, including Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, were not released by April 20.
The other demands include restoration of the caretaker government, immediate release of Mahmudur Rahman, acting editor of Amar Desh, withdrawal of the 'false' cases against BNP leaders and activists across the country, putting an end to campus violence and 'mass' killing and trial of Padma Bridge and Hall-Mark scams.
Our Dinajpur correspondent adds: The Joypurhat unit of the BNP-led 18-party alliance will also enforce a daylong hartal in the district tomorrow to mount pressure on the government to rescue district Jamaat leader Prof Nazrul Islam, who was allegedly abducted on the night of April 11.
The alliance gave the hartal call at a meeting held in the town on Friday night with Md. District BNP President Mozahar Ali Prodhan in the chair.
According to the family and party sources, plainclothes men abducted Prof Nazrul Islam, joint secretary of the Joypurhat unit of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, from his house at Shebpara in the town on the night of April 11.