Bangladesh cuts power supply to Ex-PM Zia’s house amid unrest

Dhaka: Bangladesh authorities on Saturday cut the power supply to opposition leader Khaleda Zia’s home after she called a 72-hour nationwide strike beginning on Sunday which coincides with the school exams of over 1.5 million students.
“There has been no electricity since 2:37am (local time)…they have cut the line,” an aide of the ex-premier said at her house cum office where Zia has been staying constantly since January 4 to spearhead the campaign against her arch rival Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government.
Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) alleged that the state-run Dhaka Electric Supply Company disconnected the power lines to her upmarket Gulshan office early this morning in an apparent bid to force her to call off the scheduled strike.
The BNP’s call for a 72-hour nationwide anti-government strike coincides with the countrywide Secondary School Certificate exams where over 1.5 million children will appear, forcing parents to stage a protest outside Zia’s house.
Witnesses and TV footages showed a huge number of grim faced school children accompanied by their guardians staging a human chain protest carrying placards on the street in front of Zia’s office, demanding withdrawal of the call to enable them to take part in the crucial public exams.
The anti-government strike aims to intensify pressures on the government to hold fresh elections a year after last year’s polls which BNP had boycotted over its disputes with ruling Awami League on the polls time interim government system.
At least 42 people have been killed so far in violence during anti-government protests that took place following BNP’s call for a nationwide non-stop blockade from January 6 after authorities barred its chief Zia from joining a protest rally to mark the first anniversary of the last year’s divisive January 5 polls.
Hours after the power supply cut, Bangladesh authorities on Saturday  went ahead and snapped cable and internet connections to Zia’s home, which also serves as her office.
The office staff found the cable network served when they turned on the TV around 9:00am (local time), Shamsuddin Didar, a staff of BNP chairperson’s media wing was quoted as saying by The Daily Star. After stopping the power supply, Moksed Ali, a lineman said that he cut the power line on instructions from police.
The actions came 11 hours after Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan threatened that water and electricity lines of Zia’s office will be disconnected if she did not withdraw blockade by February 2.
A number of police vans, sand, bricks, cement laden trucks, a water cannon and additional number of police were deployed in front of Zia’s office since January 3 in a bid to confine her there. Police however removed all the barriers and withdrew additional law enforcers on January 18. Zia opted to remain at her office. (PTI)