DHAKA: The hartal, enforced by BNP-led 20-party alliance, is underway on Thursday across the country.

Started at 6:00am Sunday, the shutdown was is set to end at 6:00am Wednesday, which was later expended to Friday 6:00am, coupled with a nationwide road-rail-waterway blockade for indefinite period.

Earlier on Saturday, BNP joint-secretary general Salahuddin Ahmed, on behalf of the alliance, announced the seventh spell of shutdown issuing a statement.

On Monday, BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan, in a press release, declared relaxing the hartal for 12-hour from 6:00am to 6:00pm for Tuesday hours after of Bangladesh Cricket Team secured qualified for World Cup quarterfinal, defeating England.

On Tuesday, Salahuddin Ahmed, in a statement, announced that BNP-led 20-party alliance has extended its ongoing 72-hour hartal by 48 more hours till 6:00am Friday.

In previous six weeks, the country went through series of shutdowns by the alliances, which were followed by a two-day break during the weekends only.

In addition to the shutdown, a nationwide blockade is underway for indefinite period since Khaleda has announced the blockade on January 5 protesting government’s bar to obverse the ‘democracy killing day’ and her ‘confinement’ to Gulshan political office.

On that day, ruling Awami League marked the first year of its 5-year tenure since it takes office through January 5 polls, which BNP boycotted.

BDST: 0824 HRS, MAR 12, 2015