Sramik League demonstrates near Khaleda's office

Jatiya Sramik League defied police barricades and demonstrated near Khaleda Zia's Gulshan office in the capital yesterday, demanding immediate withdrawal of the BNP-led ongoing blockade and threatening to besiege the office if its call falls on deaf ears.

A few thousand leaders and activists of the ruling Awami League's labour wing started off from Gulshan-2 intersection but were barred at least thrice by police, in vain, on their way to the office. Finally they were stopped at Gulshan Model School and College, some 30 yards from the office.

Addressing a rally at the place, Sramik League General Secretary Serajul Islam said that if Khaleda did not withdraw the blockade immediately, they would storm the office and besiege it. "No one will be able to stop us then," he added.

The demonstrators carried banners, posters and placards emblazoned with slogans against the BNP chief, and held her accountable for all the deaths and destruction of properties in violence since January 6, when the 20-party alliance's blockade started indefinitely.

The alliance demands a fresh national election to be overseen by a non-party caretaker administration, a call the ruling party has refused to accept since before the last parliamentary election in January 2014.

During half an hour of protest, vehicular movement halted on the road in front of Khaleda's office, and traffic chaos was created in the surrounding areas.

The protesters left the place around 12:50pm.

Sramik League was supposed to besiege the office yesterday as per its February 5 announcement.