BNP slates govt for 'torture' of strike backers

Dhaka, July 10 (bdnews24.com) ? BNP has slammed the government for reported tortures on pro-hartal activists by police and Awami League activists during Sunday's general strike enforced by 12 Islamist parties.

The party came with its brickbats at an urgent press briefing at chairperson Khaleda Zia's Gulshan office on Sunday evening.

"BNP has extended its support to the 12-party hartal. Police and Awami League cadres tortured the opposition activists across the country during the strike," joint secretary-general of the party Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said.

According to Rizvi, also the office secretary of the party, Awami League activists attacked Olama Mashayekh Parishad activists on Dhaka-Chittagong highway in Narayanganj.

"They beat up innocent people with oars and punt poles in presence of police like they did in 2007," he said.

"We deplore such a policy of suppression adopted by the government," he added.

The BNP leader alleged that the government could not tolerate the opposition anymore.

"Police have blocked our Naya Paltan headquarters since the morning. None was allowed to enter the office," he said.

Rizvi said ruling party cadres also attacked pro-hartal activists in Brahmanbaria, Rajshahi, Khulna and Kurigram.

He also demanded immediate release of the opposition activists detained during the general strike.

Islami Andolan Bangladesh observed the strike from dawn to dusk on Sunday, while the 30-hour strike called by 11 other Islamist parties will last until Monday noon.

They called the shutdown in protest against dropping of the words 'Absolute Faith and Trust in Almighty Allah' from the constitution through the 15th Amendment.

BNP and its key ally Jamaat-e-Islami observed two shutdowns last month and one this month to protest the amendment, through which the caretaker government system was annulled.

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