Blockade in Bangladesh to continue: Khaleda Zia

Dhaka: Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief Khaleda Zia announced Monday that her party will continue the blockade of the country, ending hopes of a quick solution to the two-week crisis in the country that began with her being confined to her office and which has now been lifted.

The BNP chief, who was confined to her Gulshan office for 15 days, called a press conference Monday, a day after police lifted the siege, according to a bdnews24.com report.

Zia called the blockade Jan 5 when police barred her from leaving her office to lead anti-government agitations.

The BNP-led opposition alliance had boycotted the general election in Bangladesh in January, last year and has been pressing for fresh elections since then.

Zia's 20-party opposition alliance has been observing a non-stop blockade across the country demanding fresh elections under a non-party caretaker government system.

According to a Xinhua report, the wave of violence has so far left 25 people dead and several hundred injured as anti-government protesters battled with law enforcers, attacked rivals, torched vehicles and targeted railway since Jan 6 when Zia's BNP-led opposition alliance enforced a nationwide, non-stop rail-road-waterway blockade.

Zia welcomed the government's withdrawal of police from her office, but said: "The government forced (us) to call the blockade."

Zia urged her supporters and the people of Bangladesh to continue with the agitation.

"It will continue until further announcement," she added.