Zabaniyah
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BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is leading the seven-hour-long mass hunger strike of 18-party alliance at Mohanagar Natya Mancha in Gulistan on Sunday.
Khaleda reached the venue nearly an hour after the agitation programme began.
The BNP-led mass hunger strike started at 10:40am with recitation from the Holy Quran.
Khaleda took position on the podium flanked by BNP standing committee members Barrister Moudud Ahmed, Tariqul Islam, Nazrul Islam Khan and Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman; party Vice-Chairman Selima Rahman; BNP leaders Abdullah Al Noman and Fazlur Rahman Patal; Opposition Chief Whip Zainul Abdin Farroque; Jubo Dal President Moazzem Hossain Alal; Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Hamidur Rahman Azad and Khelafat Majlish ameer Moulana Mohammad Ishak.
The 18-party alliance is observing the agitation programme to press home its demand for tracing disappeared BNP leader M Ilias Ali, release of recently detained top opposition leaders and reinstatement of the caretaker government system.
Leaders and activists of the 18-party alliances from different corners of the city gathered the venue with processions carrying banners and festoons, reports our correspondent covering the event.
The opposition earlier set a target to gather over 20,000 people at the hunger strike.
BNP Standing Committee Member Nazrul Islam Khan told The Daily Star that they had taken all-out preparations to make the programme successful.
The agitation programme has also been observing at all divisional cities and district headquarters simultaneously.
The programme was announced on May 14 as part of the alliance's countrywide demonstration.
On Saturday, the opposition got the government's nod to hold the programme at the natya mancha.
Earlier on May 14, the BNP-led alliance was not given permission to bring out a mass procession in the capital.
ILIAS DISAPPEARS
M Ilias Ali, 51, a former lawmaker and BNP organising secretary of Sylhet Division, and his driver went missing while returning to his Banani residence in the early hours of April 18.
His car was found abandoned in Banani with all its four doors wide open, giving an impression that Ilias was abducted.
33 LEADERS SENT TO JAIL
BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and 32 other high-profile opposition leaders landed in jail on May 16 after a Dhaka court rejected their bail prayers in connection with an arson case.
BNP standing committee members Khandker Mosharraf Hossain, MK Anwar, ASM Brig Gen (retd) Hannan Shah, Mirza Abbas, Goyeshwar Chandra and former DCC mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka were among the leaders sent to jail. They had surrendered to the court and sought bail.
The BNP, a few hours later, called a countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal for May 17 demanding unconditional release of its leaders, withdrawal of the cases against them.
Two cases were filed against the BNP-led 18-party alliance for torching a vehicle near the Prime Minister's office and exploding 'bombs' at the Bangladesh Secretariat during hartal on April 29.
CARETAKER ISSUE
BNP has been demonstrating for the reinstatement of the caretaker government system after it was abolished through the 15th amendment to the constitution on May 30 last year.
Since then the BNP has been saying that the party would not join the next polls if caretaker government system is not reinstated.
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/latest_news.php?nid=37817
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