Indefinite strike in Ctg from tomorrow
Chittagong Divisional Coordinator of 14-party combine and Chittagong City AL President ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury made the announcement in his presidential speech at a protest rally at Laldighi Maidan in the afternoon.
The combine postponed its today's scheduled strike in the city to facilitate workers of different garment factories and industrial units to receive their monthly salaries.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Mohiuddin, also the mayor of Chittagong City Corporation, blamed the 4-party alliance government for betraying the people by taking the decision of handing over power to "controversial" KM Hasan at the eleventh hour of its tenure and for wasting time in the name of dialogue.
He also threatened to occupy the Laldighi Maidan from this morning to resist any rally by the ruling party claiming that the 14-party combine got the booking of the ground for 10 days since yesterday.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chittagong unit earlier declared to hold a rally at the ground this afternoon.
Mohiuddin also announced a blockade of the railway and highway today.
He urged the combine leaders and activists of three thanas Pahartali, Halishahar and Bandar to gather at the city's Olankar intersection at 10:00am to make the blockade a success.
"No buses or trucks would be allowed to pass through Olankar intersection during the blockade," he added.
The mayor urged the activists of different parties under the combine to gather at the Laldighi Maidan at 9:00am and participate in the Janatar Mancha.
Former labour and manpower minister MA Mannan urged the law enforcement agencies not to harass the opposition party leaders and workers.
Former city AL president MA Mannan, AL Central Organising Secretary Bir Bahadur, AL north district President Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, south district President Akhteruzzaman Chowdhury Babu, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal Executive Committee President Mainuddin Khan Badal, city AL Joint Secretary Dr Afsarul Amin, Gono Forum city unit President M Kafil Uddin Chowdhury and city Workers' Party President ATM Nizamuddin also addressed the rally.
Meanwhile, leaders of AL north and south districts at a press conference at the Chittagong Press Club yesterday announced a simultaneous blockade programme to be enforced on the highway and railway in their respective areas from today.