7th Round Of BNP Blockade Underway

As the 7th round of the nationwide 48-hour blockade called by Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and likeminded opposition parties started from Sunday (November 26) morning, party leaders and activist brought out processions in various parts of the capital Dhaka to try to enforce the blockade.

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi led the procession at Kamal Artatuk Road in Banani of the capital at around 7:00am. The procession, organised by Dhaka district BNP, started from Kakali area and ended at Banani ground.

At that time, BNP men took positions on the road and tried to block the roads.

Meanwhile, Dhaka District BNP General Secretary Advocate Nipun Roy Chowdhury led a procession in the capital's Paribagh area. The procession started from Motaleb Plaza.

Hundreds of BNP leaders and activists of Dhaka district and affiliated organisations participated in the procession.

Bangladesh Jamaat-E-Islami brought out procession marches in the capital's Mirpur, Kafrul, Kanipara, Tejgaon, Hatirjheel, Rampura, Pallabi, Mohammadpur and Dakshinkhan areas.

The party has alleged that 7 people have been arrested by the police from the processions.

Under pressure from the ruling quarter, the opposition BNP is now prioritising internal cohesion and avoiding any potential fragmentation among allied anti-government parties, according to party sources. 

Besides, the party is actively implementing a plan to enhance public participation in the ongoing anti-government movement to address public demands.

As part of the ongoing movement, the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami declared a fresh 48-hour nationwide blockade for Sunday and Monday. The blockade will be enforced from 6 am Sunday to 6 am on Tuesday. It will be the opposition's seventh round of hartal and blockade in three weeks.

With only seven days left for the submission of nomination papers, there is no indication that the BNP is going to contest the elections. Instead, with international support, the party will move forward with its agitation programs, BNP sources said.

To ensure that no more of its allies are lured into participating in the polls, the BNP has formed a three-member committee in addition to its standing committee. 

Initially involved in the anti-government movement with the BNP, many withdrew from the alliance and opted for electoral participation. The alliance now has six parties remaining, including the BNP. 

The BNP's top leaders are actively engaging with the parties still in the movement, including the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Biplobi Workers' Party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), National Democratic Movement (NDM), and Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP).

Nazrul Islam Khan, a BNP Standing Committee member, deems the decision of these smaller parties to contest the polls as a "political mistake," anticipating that people will perceive it as a political misstep. 

According to Nazrul, the government has long been attempting to disrupt the alliance by exploiting greed and fear. However, he asserted the movement to remain unaffected. "The individuals leaving the alliance are viewed as self-interested and opposed to the public interest and the movement."

Meanwhile, the blockade enforced on Wednesday and Thursday was loosely implemented; long-distance vehicles faced operational challenges, yet the number of vehicles increased in the capital.

Amid pressure from the ruling party, the BNP faces hurdles in organising its movement for a polls-time caretaker government.