Withdraw blockade, hartal, stop violence

A group of ruling Awami League lawmakers who are also physicians yesterday issued a 24-hour ultimatum on BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia to withdraw the ongoing blockade, and hartals and stop violence during those times, threatening to "resist it democratically".

"It has been destroying humanity," said Dr Yunus Ali Sarker, one of the 10 who handed over a memorandum in this regard to Sayrul Kabir Khan, a staff of the BNP chief's media wing, at the gate of Khaleda's Gulshan office in the capital around 12:45pm. 

Sayrul loudly stated that the group was staging a temporary drama and asked them to provide Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina another to "stop oppression on the party's members".

In a similar tone, Dr Muhammad Habibe Millat responded that Khaleda would be held responsible for the violence's consequences.

Turning to journalists,  he said it was no drama, only an effort to show 

Khaleda  the distress the burn victims were going through.

Former health minister Dr Ruhal Haque, who led the group with Dr Millat, said the government was successfully "controlling the situation" and the blockade and hartal calls were having no effect.

The group had broken off from a larger procession heading towards the office but stopped by police at the Banani field.