Bangladesh opposition calls three-day strike

Dhaka : Bangladesh's main opposition Friday called a three-day nationwide strike from Sunday morning to press its demand for restoration of the non-party caretaker government system to oversee the national elections slated for early 2014. Former prime minister Khaleda Zia announced the strike at a grand rally in capital Dhaka, giving Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government a two-day ultimatum for initiating a dialogue on a neutral election-time government, Xinhua reported. Tens of thousands of Bangladesh opposition supporters flooded the lush green Suhrawardy Udyan. The leaders and activists of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its 17 allies, including Jamaat-e-Islami, marched toward the rally venue with banners, placards and "sheaf of paddy" election symbol of BNP, breaking through several obstacles on their way. Khaleda Zia alleged that the Awami League-led alliance government has not worked to ensure the rights of the people and rather concentrated to protect the interests of the party. "This government arrests people when they try to hold meetings and rallies. They are out to violate people’s rights," The Daily Star quoted a BNP leader as saying.