Bangladesh Opposition Strikes to Protest BNP Leader's Evicti
- 13 years ago
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Tensions are flaring in the country of Bangladesh today, which borders northeast India and Burma. Members of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party have gone on a nationwide strike… after their leader was evicted from her house.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, or BNP, staged a nationwide strike on Tuesday. The strike was called after the government evicted their leader from her home. They say authorities have failed to run the government smoothly, and failed to tackle power and gas shortages.
Demonstrators say police arrested at least 30 BNP leaders on Tuesday.
[Abdus Salam Azad, Leader, Bangladesh Nationalist Party]:
"We were marching peacefully on the street to support the strike in the morning, but police stormed our procession and arrested about 30 to 40 leaders and activists, now the police have surrounded our office and seized us."
The strike is the second led by the BNP since the government evicted their leader, former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia, from the house she lived in for decades.
The house was leased to her after her husband, former army chief and president Ziaur Rahman, was killed in an abortive coup in 1981.
The government of her archrival, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, cancelled the lease last year.
Khaleda took legal action to keep her home but lost her final battle on Monday at the Supreme Court, leading to a night of violent protests by BNP members.
The BNP say police have detained thousands of their activists over the past few days.
Rivalry between the two women, both relatives of previous male leaders, has defined politics in Bangladesh since 1991, after they jointly led a campaign that ousted military ruler Hossain Mohammad Ershad.
Tensions are flaring in the country of Bangladesh today, which borders northeast India and Burma. Members of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party have gone on a nationwide strike… after their leader was evicted from her house.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, or BNP, staged a nationwide strike on Tuesday. The strike was called after the government evicted their leader from her home. They say authorities have failed to run the government smoothly, and failed to tackle power and gas shortages.
Demonstrators say police arrested at least 30 BNP leaders on Tuesday.
[Abdus Salam Azad, Leader, Bangladesh Nationalist Party]:
"We were marching peacefully on the street to support the strike in the morning, but police stormed our procession and arrested about 30 to 40 leaders and activists, now the police have surrounded our office and seized us."
The strike is the second led by the BNP since the government evicted their leader, former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia, from the house she lived in for decades.
The house was leased to her after her husband, former army chief and president Ziaur Rahman, was killed in an abortive coup in 1981.
The government of her archrival, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, cancelled the lease last year.
Khaleda took legal action to keep her home but lost her final battle on Monday at the Supreme Court, leading to a night of violent protests by BNP members.
The BNP say police have detained thousands of their activists over the past few days.
Rivalry between the two women, both relatives of previous male leaders, has defined politics in Bangladesh since 1991, after they jointly led a campaign that ousted military ruler Hossain Mohammad Ershad.