Dhaka: The BNP-led 18-party opposition alliance formally called off its countrywide hartal scheduled for May 2 following a request made by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the business leaders.

BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia withdrew the hartal call issuing a press statement on Tuesday.

In the statement she said, “We’ve withdrawn the hartal scheduled for May 2 for facilitating the Savar rescue and rehabilitation operation and also to help all to stand by the victims of the tragedy. It is also a goodwill gesture to the Prime Minister’s request to help facilitate the treatment of the victims on humanitarian ground.”

The declaration was announced after a meeting of the leaders of alliance partners on Tuesday afternoon. 

On Monday while visiting the Savar tragedy site, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina requested the opposition BNP to call off their May 2 hartal considering the humanitarian ground as the rescue operation at Savar is going on.

Business leaders also urged the opposition BNP to withdraw the hartal for the sake of the RMG sector.

Following the Prime Minister’s call for hartal withdrawal, some BNP leaders at a preparatory meeting of the party held at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office at noon suggested taking her request into consideration.

“The BNP chairperson has decided to withdraw the hartal at a meeting with senior party leaders at her Gulshan office on Monday night,” a BNP leader preferring anonymity said.

BNP standing committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Barrister Moudud Ahmed, ASM Hannan Shah, Rafiqul Islam Miah and Abdul Moyeen Khan were, among others, present at the meeting.

On Saturday night, the BNP-led 18-party alliance called the countrywide daylong hartal for Thursday to register its protest against Savar tragedy.

They also opined that the hartal will not be logical as the rescue operation is still on. Besides, they said, the family members of the victims will face difficulties in taking the bodies or injured people to their village homes if the hartal is enforced.

Ends/MH/AMA/30/04/13