AL enforces dawn-to-dusk hartal today
Staff Correspondent
The main opposition Awami League (AL) is set to enforce a dawn-to-dusk countrywide hartal today to protest what it said was infringement on the opposition's democratic and political rights and killings of its leaders and activists by the ruling alliance activists.The decision to enforce the daylong shutdown, also to protest the deterioration of law and order and price hike of essentials, was taken at an emergency meeting of the AL presidium on December 22. The AL will also hold a rally at Paltan Maidan in the city on January 10, from which its President and Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Sheikh Hasina is expected to announce an oust-government programme. Meanwhile, the AL and its front organisations have taken all-out preparations to make today's hartal a success. Dhaka City unit of the AL exchanged views with different professional groups and held extensive meetings at different thana and ward units during the last few days. To drum up support in favour of today's general strike, the AL and its front organisations yesterday brought out processions in the city and many other areas of the country. AL General Secretary Abdul Jalil issued a statement yesterday urging the countrymen to make today's hartal a success. The government also has taken a number of measures to maintain law and order during the 12-hour hartal period including assigning a joint force of around 5,000 police, BDR and ansars in the capital to contain any untoward incidents.
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