DHAKA: Bangladesh National Party (BNP) reduced the hartal time by 12-hour, which was earlier 24-hour for Thursday.

BNP joint secretary general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said the countrywide hartal will be observed from 6:00am to 6:00pm on Thursday protesting attack on Reaz Rahman, an adviser to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia and also ex-state minister for foreign affairs.

In the statement, Rizvi urged the people to observe spontaneously the hartal and blockade, called by the BNP-led 20-party alliance.

The countrywide blockade will be continued till the victory, the senior BNP leader added.

He said the non-elected incumbent government brought down assassins in different areas and Reaz Rahman became the victim of them.

Earlier on Tuesday night, preferring anonymity, a senior leader of BNP called countrywide 24-hour hartal for Thursday protesting the attack.

BDST: 1613 HRS, JAN 14, 2015