The BNP has called for a 48-hour nationwide hartal from tomorrow morning, which includes the voting day, in protest of the January 7 national election.

"The 48-hour hartal will begin at 6:00am on Saturday and end at 6:00am on Monday," said BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi at a virtual press briefing yesterday.

At another briefing earlier, Rizvi said the party will also take out processions and conduct mass contact across the country today.

The other like-minded parties will also hold similar programmes.

"Hartal, procession and mass contact will be held in support of the polls boycott and non-cooperation movement for the resignation of Awami League government and reinstatement of the neutral polls-time caretaker government system," said Rizvi, adding that they would also demand the release of BNP leaders from prison in the programmes.

The BNP and some other political parties are boycotting the January 7 election demanding the polls under a non-partisan interim government.

He said many candidates are quitting the election race. "In this way, the people will win. By using the state power to oppress people, they [Awami League] cannot win.

Rizvi also urged all government officials, including the Bangladesh army, police and judiciary, not to cooperate in the election.

Law enforcers arrested more than 24,862 BNP leaders and activists in 1,141 cases across the country from October 28 until yesterday, he said.

In the 24 hours to yesterday afternoon, 185 party leaders and activists were detained and 11 cases were filed against 938 named and many unnamed party activists, said Rizvi.

Since October 29 last year, the BNP and other like-minded parties have already enforced nationwide hartals for five days in four spells and blockades for 23 days in 12 phases.

The party came up with the call for a non-cooperation movement on December 20.