Refrain from bad habit of denying pledge: 20-Party  

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) joint secretary general Barkat Ullah Bulu, urged Awami League joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif to refrain from the ‘bad habit’ of denying commitment.

The 20-Party spokesman came up with the view in a statement on Saturday.

Earlier, Hanif at a press briefing on Friday denied any commitment from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina before the 5 January general election to hold a fresh election dissolving the 10th parliament.

Barkat Ullah Bulu strongly protested the AL reaction after BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s press briefing on Friday.

The 20-party statement claimed, ‘In Awami League’s joint meeting of preparation committee and party leaders on 19 December 2013, Sheikh Hasina at her introductory speech, promised to hold a fresh election dissolving the parliament if they would reach to any negotiations through dialogue after the 5 January general election.’

‘Different television channels telecast Sheikh Hasina’s statement on the day and national newspapers published the statement on the next day’, the 20-Party statement added.

The 20-Party, in the statement, also called a fresh spell of 72-hour countrywide hartal from 6:00am Sunday.

The enforcement of 72-hour shutdown will end on 6:00am Wednesday, said the statement.