The BNP, which has been circulating statements to the media signed by leaders from undisclosed locations, issued a corrected statement on Saturday soon after it had issued one that did not mention anything about its ongoing blockade. Saturday’s first statement signed by BNP Joint Secretary General Barkatullah Bulu announced countrywide processions on Sunday to press its demand for an interim election, but remained silent over the transport blockade. The statement was issued at 3.58pm. About an hour and half later at 5:24pm, it issued a corrected statement clarifying that the blockade would continue. Earlier on Tuesday (Mar 24), ahead of the Independence Day, BNP had issued a statement signed by its Joint Secretary General Barkatullah Bulu without mentioning anything about the shutdown the party was enforcing then. But it had mentioned that the countrywide blockade would continue. Since Wednesday, there has been no shutdown, which had been a regular phenomenon from the beginning of February. In addition to a non-stop transport blockade from Jan 5, the BNP-led coalition had been calling for shutdowns since the beginning of February except for the weekends. Statements, attributed to the BNP, issued from undisclosed locations had been calling for shutdowns from Sunday to Tuesday morning only to be extended later until Friday morning Saturday’s first statement did not mention anything about the blockade, which led to confusions about whether the blockade would continue. –bdnews24.com
