Rally, not hartal

The BNP-led 18-party opposition will not enforce fresh hartals this week "in respect for all religions".
Instead, it will hold a rally in front of BNP central office in the capital's Naya Paltan tomorrow, protesting the government's failure in finding out "missing" opposition leaders, including M Ilias Ali, a BNP organising secretary who disappeared in April last year, and demanding release of its leaders.
BNP standing committee member Khandker Mosharraf Hossain yesterday briefed reporters after a meeting of secretary generals of the alliance's components.
Bangladesh Jatiya Hindu Mahajot meanwhile thanked Khaleda Zia for not calling hartals for today and tomorrow responding to its request. The Mahajot had made the request for smooth celebration of Langal Bandh Snan (Holy bath).
The meeting at BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's Gulshan office also decided in principle to enforce countrywide two-day hartal from April 22 or April 23, sources in the alliance told The Daily Star.
The date will be finalised in line with any possible changes to Hefajat-e Islam's rally in Khulna, which is scheduled for April 20.
As part of its strategy, the opposition will fix and observe its upcoming anti-government movements alongside Hefajat's programmes.
About the 18-party alliance's next course of action, a leader of an ally of the BNP, who was present in the meeting, said they had decided to enforce three-day nonstop hartal in the last week of this month if the top BNP leaders were not freed on April 21, the day of their bail hearing.
Apart from a series of district-based hartals, the opposition alliance so far enforced six countrywide shutdowns this month, inflicting huge loss on the country's economy.
Earlier on April 11, BNP national standing committee, the highest policy making body of the main opposition, decided to enforce 36-hour hartal across the country from today.