Amid countrywide clashes and violence marking the first anniversary of last year’s January 5 elections, Bangladesh Nationalist Party chief Khaleda Zia called an indefinite blockade on Monday.
After being obstructed by police from coming out of her office in Gulshan, where she was allegedly “confined” since Saturday night, Ms. Khaleda announced that the blockade of roads, railways and waterways across Bangladesh would continue “till further announcement”.
Ms. Khaleda announced the fresh agitation plan after failing to get out of her office amid heavy police presence. Police ramped up security around her Gulshan office for what they called her “protection”. Khaleda loyalists alleged that the police had locked all her office gates to keep her from joining the rally in defiance of the police ban.
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The government, however, denied that Ms. Khaleda was being forcibly confined and said it was for her own security. Ms. Khaleda on Sunday told the BBC Bangla Service that she was “being confined” but Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the BNP chief was “free to get out anytime she wanted”.
The BNP chief tried to join her supporters, who were not many but scattered all over the city in groups, in their much publicised anti-government street protests on the first anniversary of the last general elections.
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Marking the first anniversary of last year’s election, boycotted by the BNP, which installed Ms. Hasina for her second consecutive term, widespread clashes have been reported across Bangladesh.
The major clashes took place in the northern district of Natore, where BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami supporters clashed with the police and ruling Awami League supporters.
Police have banned all kinds of processions, meetings and gatherings in Dhaka since Sunday after the Awami League and the BNP announced plans for celebrations and protests for Monday.
Coinciding with his mother’s call for indefinite national blockade, understandably to cripple the government, the party’s exiled second in command Tarique Rahman has asked his men not to return home “until toppling the government” of Sheikh Hasina.