Accusing the BNP-Jamaat alliance government of failure to ensure adequate supply of electricity, fuel, fertiliser and seeds, the opposition leaders demanded immediate resignation of the alliance rulers.

They also demanded immediate steps to put an end to the prevailing crises for the greater interests of the SSC candidates and the farmers.

Dhaka City unit of AL, 11-left leaning party, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) and National Awami Party (NAP) blocked the Dhaka-Chittagong highway near Jatrabari intersection during their sit-in and performed protest songs demanding immediate resignation of the four-party alliance government.

Due to the roadblock more than a hundred vehicles towards the capital stood still on the road creating a five-kilometre long traffic jam.

Dhaka City AL General Secretary Mofazzel Hossain Chowdhury Maya told journalists that the people supported their sit-in in a large scale though the programme caused temporary sufferings for people coming to the capital.

Addressing the gathering, the opposition leaders said the alliance government has hiked up the prices of everyday essentials in a planned way only to become rich. They have looted thousands of crores of taka from the people and also taken profit-shares from all sorts of businesses giving rise to the price spiral, they said.

They also reiterated their resolve that they will not allow any election in the country until their proposed reforms in the system of caretaker government and the Election Commission (EC) are carried out. The opposition leaders said if the incumbent government does not meet their demands they will forge a mass uprising to topple the government.

AL Presidium Member Abdur Razzak alleged that the BNP-Jamaat alliance government did not allow the opposition to speak in the parliament on power, fertiliser and fuel crises or on implementing their demands.

"As they (government) did not take any initiative to solve the ongoing crises, we had to take to the streets," Razzak said adding that the alliance rulers have failed to run the country. The students cannot study due to power outages and the farmers cannot cultivate due to the immense crises of fertiliser and seeds. Power outages led to a price hike of fuels also, he said.

Leaders of the 14-party Syed Zafar Sazzad, Mir Hossain Akther, Qamrul Ahsan, MA Gani, Pankaj Bhattacharya, Sharif Nurul Ambia, Shubid Ali Bhuiyan, Rahmat Ullah, Omar Ali, Hazi Mohammad Selim, and MA Karim among others also spoke.

Motia Chowdhury, Habibur Rahman Mollah, Harun-or-Rashid Munna, Mamunur Rashid Suvro, Gaffer Dewan Razib and Sajib Babu staged a separate sit-in on the same highway about 50 feet away from the main venue of the programme, where no one addressed the gathering.

Jatiya Krishak Samity and Khetmojur Union jointly organised a rally at Muktangan in the capital yesterday in protest at the existing crises of fertiliser, diesel and electricity.

Addressing the rally the leaders of the organisations alleged that anti-farmer policies of the BNP-Jamaat-led government are responsible for the crises. Presided over by Krishak Samity leader Anisur Rahman Mollik the rally was addressed by Nurul Hasan and Aminul Islam.

The 14-party observed a two-hour sit-in at Shaheb Bazar Zero Point in Rajshahi protesting frequent power outages, unprecedented diesel and fertiliser crises and the price hike of daily essentials, reports our Rajshahi University (RU) correspondent.

Leaders at the rally, presided over by Fazle Hossain Badshah, demanded immediate resignation of the BNP-Jamaat government for its failure to run the country properly. They urged the people to launch a tougher movement against the government.

The rally was addressed among others by former state minister Zinatun Nesa Talukder, Rajshhai District Awami League General Secretary Omar Faruk, Mahila AL's Central Vice-president Akter Zahan, and JSD City General Secretary Abdullah Al Masud Shibli.

The opposition coalition activists blocked the Satkhira-Khulna highway in front of Patkelghata Palli Bidyut Office and farmers observed a token hunger strike for two and a half hours nearby demanding electricity and fertiliser, reports our Satkhira correspondent.

Later, the activists withdrew the roadblock and the farmers agreed to break their fasts following an assurance from the local administration of fertiliser supply in 24 hours.

Our Jessore correspondent reports that several hundred 14-party activists and leaders blocked different roads including the Dhaka-Jessore and Benapole-Jessore highways demanding fertiliser, electricity, diesel and seeds.

The coalition also staged a demonstration in front of the Netrakona district AL office on the same issue reports our Netrakona correspondent. The police arrested two AL activists of Madan Upazila from the sit-in programme.