The opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led alliance on Sunday called off its nationwide general strike scheduled for March 29 as a religious festival of the Hindu community falls on the day.
People of the Hindu community from across the country and from abroad would throng Langalband in Narayanganj on the day to take holy bath (punyasnan) in the River Sitalakhya on the occasion of Basanti Durga Puja.
The acting BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir made the announcement at a press briefing in the party chairperson Khaleda Zia’s office at Gulshan on Sunday night after a meeting of the alliance.
Earlier, a group of Hindu community leaders met Khaleda requesting her to call off the general strike to help the Hindus to observe the festival.
The alliance will go on demonstrations on March 29 across the country and on March 31 in Dhaka, Fakhrul said.
Khaleda on March 12 announced the daylong nationwide general strike for March 29 in protest against the government’s ‘attempts’ at ‘obstructing’ the ‘march to Dhaka’ programme.