Bangladesh Oppn calls yet another shutdown

BNP-led alliance to press for restoration of neutral caretaker government system to oversee the next elections scheduled to be held by January 25,2014.

Opposition parties in Bangladesh Friday announced a 72-hour nationwide strike from Sunday,demanding restoration of a neutral caretaker regime to oversee the next general election,after enforcing two back to back 60-hour shutdowns since October 27 on the same issue.

After an hourlong meeting Friday,the BNP-led 18-party opposition alliance said it would observe the strike on November 10-12.

BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the opposition hoped the government would meet their demand of holding the election under a caretaker government within the stipulated time.

Otherwise,we will be bound to take tougher programmes after the end of the (next) hartal, Alamgir told reporters.

This will be the third prolonged strike in two weeks.

The announcement came a day after the Election Commission said the BNPs right-wing ally Jamaat-e-Islami cannot participate in the next polls in line with a court order.

In August,a three-judge special bench of the High Court declared illegal the registration of Jamaat as a political party with the poll panel.

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The BNP-led alliance called the first 60-hour shutdown from October 27 and second one from November 4 to press for restoration of neutral caretaker government system to oversee the next elections scheduled to be held by January 25,2014.

A total of 26 people have died in violence linked to political turmoil since October 25.

Zia also ruled out the possibility of contesting polls if Hasina remained as head of the government.