... a peculiarly Bangla combination of a general strike and a riot, used by both major political groups in lieu of actual governance ...
on Thursday if the left-leaning political parties do not withdraw their Tuesday's hartal.
The Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) and Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) on December 7 called a countrywide daylong hartal for December 18 [Tuesday] demanding ban on communal politics including that of the Jamaat-e-Islami
...
The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka
The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an
independentbranch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores...
, and quick disposal of the war crimes trials.
While paying tribute to the martyred intellectuals at Rayerbazar mass grave yesterday, the leaders of these two parties hoped that people would strongly response against Jamaat-e-Islami by making the hartal a success. They alleged that Jamaat was becoming desperate to foil the ongoing war crimes trial.
The Gonotantrik Bam Morcha also called a countrywide dawn-to-dusk shutdown for the same day [Tuesday] to realise their seven-point demand including that for stopping power, oil and gas price hike. The party yesterday held a procession and is also set to hold a rally today in front of the Jatiya Press Club in favour of the hartal.
Meanwhile,
...back at the hoedown, Bob finally got to dance with Sally...
Zafarullah Khan, member of the 12 like-minded Islamist parties, yesterday told The Daily Star that they would formally announce their dawn-to-dusk hartal for Thursday at a presser on Tuesday if the left parties do not withdraw their hartal.
Against such backdrop, the city dwellers are likely to suffer three hartals next week while Sunday is going to be a holiday for the Victory Day.
An organization named Gorbo Bangladesh Biplobi Dal called a half-day hartal in the capital for December 17 [Monday] demanding Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
...Bangla dynastic politician and current Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She has been the President of the Bangla Awami League since 1981. She is the eldest of five children of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh. Her party defeated the BNP-led Four-Party Alliance in the 2008 parliamentary elections. She has once before held the office, from 1996 to 2001, when she was defeated in a landslide...'s and BNP Chairperson
Khaleda ZiaThree-term PM of Bangla, widow of deceased dictator Ziaur Rahman, head of the Bangla Nationalist Party, an apparent magnet for corruption ...
's retirement from politics.
On Wednesday, spokespersons of the organization Shaheda Obaid and Kamrul Hasan announced the eight-hour hartal at a presser in Dhaka Reporters Unity.