Dhaka, June 27 (IANS) The opposition stir in Bangladesh called to demand, among other things, cancellation of five deals with India ended peacefully Sunday.
While the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) termed it a success, the ruling Awami league claimed that life was normal and that the stir had no impact.
Motorised vehicles, except few buses, were off the streets and all educational institution remained closed across the country after the strike began at 6 a.m., Star Online, website of The Daily Star reported.
BNP has shown ‘government’s failure to resolve gas, electricity and water crises, stop tender manipulation and extortion, and politicisation of the administration and judiciary’ as the reasons behind its decision to enforce the 12-hour shutdown.
While announcing the stir, opposition leader Khaleda Zia had May 19 said the shutdown will be observed to demand scrapping of treaties signed with India, resignation of the Election Commission and measures to curb price spiral of essentials.
Police conducted preventive arrests of 64 opposition activists.
No arrests were conducted without specific charges, it said.
This was Bangladesh’s first political stand-off since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took office in January last year after winning a parliamentary election with a landslide.
