Ishraque suspends ongoing movement for 48 hrs

BNP leader Engineer Ishraque Hossain announced that the party has decided to pause its ongoing movement for 48 hours.

He made the announcement while addressing party activists at the Matsya Bhaban intersection in Dhaka on Thursday afternoon (May 22).

Citing the High Court’s favourable order, Ishraque said, “We are a democratic political party. In light of the court’s decision, the movement is being suspended for now. The government has been given 24 to 48 hours. After that, the party will review the situation and decide the next course of action.”

"However, the demand for the resignation of two government advisers remains unchanged," he added.

Earlier today, leaders and activists of BNP and its student wing, Chhatra Dal, staged demonstrations at key locations including Matsya Bhaban and Shahbagh intersections. Chhatra Dal had launched the blockade from 10.00am, demanding justice for the recent murder of Dhaka University student Samya in Shahbagh.

The protests caused significant traffic disruptions across the capital, especially around the Shahbagh area, where access to two major hospitals was severely affected, causing hardship for patients and emergency services.

Chhatra Dal officially announced the suspension of their blockade programme at 5.00pm.

The BNP leaders has warned that further steps will be taken if their demands are not addressed within the announced timeframe.