Khaleda to decide next course of movement: 18-party leaders
2-day countrywide shutdown likely from Sunday
Dhaka, Apr 25 (UNB) - Leaders of the BNP-led 18-party alliance have unanimously given the authority to alliance chief Khaleda Zia to fix the next course of the ongoing anti-government movement over M Ilias Ali issue.
A reliable source in the alliance said a 48-hour non-stop nationwide hartal may be called for Sunday and Monday by BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia or party acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on behalf of her on Saturday.
It said the 18-party leaders bestowed the authority on BNP chief Khaleda Zia to decide the next course of action during an emergency meeting of the alliance held at the BNP chairperson`s Gulshan office on Wednesday night with alliance leader Khaleda Zia in the chair.
The meeting that lasted for about one hour from 8:45 pm discussed the possible tough programmes to press the government to trace the whereabouts of BNP`s organising secretary Ilias Ali and his driver Ansar Ali and return them to their respective families unharmed, the meeting sources told UNB over telephone late last night.
After the meeting, Maulana Mohammad Ishaq, Ameer of Khelafat Majlish, one of the components of the newly-formed alliance, said they have unanimously given the responsibility to BNP chief Khaleda to set the next programmes of the current anti-government agitation over Ilias Ali`s disappearance along with his car driver.
He confirmed that a tougher programme will be announced shortly.
``BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia may declare the next course of programmes of the movement on Ilias issue on Saturday, and if not, her party’s acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will make the announcement on behalf of Khaleda Zia on that day,” a highly-placed source at the expanded alliance said.
``A two-day non-stop countrywide general strike may be called by the 18-party alliance from Sunday,” the source informed UNB on Wednesday late night.
BNP`s former MP Ilias Ali and his driver Ansar Ali have been missing since April 17 midnight, a few hours after they left Ilias` Banani Chiarman Bari residence in his private car.
