Bangladesh: BNP asks prime minister Sheikh Hasina to resign to end crisis


Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Sunday asked prime minister Sheikh Hasina to resign to resolve the current political crisis over polls-time government.
‘The prime minister should resign respectfully to resolve the current crisis,’ BNP joint secretary general 
Salahuddin Ahmed said in a video statement on the second day of the 72-hour nationwide road-rail-waterway blockade.
The 18-party alliance led by BNP enforced the blockade in protest against announcement of schedule for election of the 10th parliament.
Salahuddin, who is now acting as the party spokesman, said the government still has time to accept the demand for polls-time non-party government.
He reiterated the demand to release detained leaders and activists of the opposition and withdrawal of cases against them.
He asked the government to stop attacks and repression on the opposition and cautioned that the current movement cannot be suppressed by unleashing repression. Rather, it would be intensified, he added.
Salahuddin was appointed as the party’s spokesman on Saturday following arrest of the party’s another joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi from the BNP central office on early Saturday.
Rizvi had been acting as the party spokesman for last several days and used to hold regular news briefing at the BNP central office, particularly during the blockade.
Salahuddin after getting the responsibility of the party spokesman did not appear at the party central office at Naya Paltan. 
Uniformed and plainclothes police have been deployed in front of BNP central office for last several days, particularly during the opposition enforced general strike and blockade. (source