BNP may declare 72-hour general strike from June 19

by Special Correspondent
June 18, 2011

http://www.weeklyblitz.net/1522/bnp-may-declare-72-hour-general-strike-from-june

Top policymakers of Bangladesh Nationalist Party [BNP] and its partners in the 4-party alliance are considering announcing another 72-hour non-stop general strike [Hartal] from June 19, 2011. On the other hand, another group of the policymakers of BNP are suggesting refraining from announcing general strike. Instead, they are suggesting countrywide demonstration program.

It may be mentioned here that Bangladesh Nationalist Party started hard-line political program when the ruling party announced to hold all future general elections in Bangladesh under the political government instead of caretaker government. The system of holding general elections under caretaker government was introduced in 1991, when military autocrat General Hussain Muhammed Ershad was force to resign from power under heavy protests from the masses. General Ershad illegally grabbed power for nine consecutive years, which is known as the worst-ever period of free-styled corruption, nepotism and political vandalism.

General Ershad is also known in Bangladesh for womanizing, who has used state machinery while in power in illegally forcing numerous females in establishing immoral relations with him. Right after capturing power by promulgating martial law, Hussain Muhammed Ershad trapped and married the wife of a banker. This became publicly known when the former military dictator started spending lavishly on this lady, thus buying properties in various countries in her name.

This former military dictator is now one of the major coalition partners of the current government in Bangladesh.

Ershad took personal initiatives in incorporating Islam as the state religion in Bangladesh. He also shifted weekly holiday from Sunday to Friday with an objective of satisfying his patrons in the Middle East. General Ershad was an intimate friend of Yasir Arafat as well as Amir of United Arab Emirates.

The ruling Bangladesh Awami League has vehemently opposed the claim of Bangladesh Nationalist Party for holding future general elections in Bangladesh under caretaker government. Policymakers of the government have been repeatedly saying that caretaker government system would only keep door open for any undemocratic or 'third forces' in capturing power.

During the last 36 hour non-stop general strike, members of law enforcing agencies were seen active on various streets in the country in combating the opposition activists. Thousands of opposition activists as well as citizen were arrested and sent to prison by the law enforcing agencies. During June 12-13 general strike, the ruling government for the first time used judicial magistrates and mobile courts in giving instant conviction to captured political activists and civilians on the street. Such convictions varied from 30 days to 1 year. Opposition political parties already termed this new initiative of the ruling party in using mobile courts as "naked attempt of suffocating the voice of the political opponents".

A number of sources inside Bangladesh Nationalist Party indicated that, 72-hour general strike may be announced on Saturday, June 18, which may take place from June 19 to June 22.

Business leaders in Bangladesh have been opposing the culture of general strike, which has become a regular practice for the political parties in Bangladesh. It may be mentioned here that, since independence in 1971, 1203 general strikes have already been called in the country, while public and private property worth a few hundred millions were destroyed or burned by the political activists. The ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party alone called more than 791 general strikes in the country.

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