Dhaka, Apr 24 (bdnews24.com) – Bangabir Quader Siddiqui on Tuesday urged the BNP to look for one or more alternatives to shutdowns to push the government to find allegedly abducted leader M ilias Ali.

The Krishak Sramik Janata League chief made the appeal when he met the acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir at the party’s Naya Paltan headquarters.

After the meeting, Siddiqui lay down on a towel on the street claiming police had detained 11 of his party activists at the entrance to the BNP office.

He said he will not leave the street until the activists were released. His wife Nasrin Siddiqui is beside him.

“Democracy cannot be like this in the country,” he said and termed the incumbent Awami League-led government ‘uncivilised’.

He went to the BNP headquarters around 10:30am with around 20 of his party activists to hold discussions with the opposition on Ilias Ali’s disappearance, countrywide shutdown and the political situation. Police obstructed them while they tried to enter the party office.

The law enforcers detained several activists of the Krishak Sramik Janata League while Siddiqui tried to enter the BNP office with his wife and several other senior leaders.

During the half hour long meeting with Mirza Fakhrul, the gallant freedom fighter told the opposition, “Observe hunger strike, enforce strike instead of calling hartal. If need be, stage a sit-in in front of the prime minister’s residence.”

bdnews24.com/sm/si/zk/bd/1250h