DHAKA, Jan 10: The Awami League (AL) and its allies on Wednesday announced a series of agitations, including a nationwide blockade of transport, for January 14 to 18 with a day’s break on January 16.

The agitation programme also includes laying siege to Bangabhaban, the official residence of President Iajuddin Ahmed, for an indefinite period from January 14.

The political combine announced the programmes to press home its demands for cancellation of the January 22 polls, resignation of President Iajuddin as chief of the non-party caretaker government, and announcement of fresh polls schedule.

AL chief Sheikh Hasina also announced a 48-hour countrywide strike from January 21 if the polls schedule was not cancelled and a non-stop general strike from January 22 if the elections were held according to the existing schedule.

Meanwhile, chairperson of Bangladesh National Party (BNP) called upon people on Wednesday to ‘resist those who want to resist elections’ and said none had the right to stand in the ways of holding general elections in the constitutionally mandated timeframe.

However, Sheikh Hasina, addressing a rally in Paltan Maidan, vowed to resist the January 22 polls at any cost and urged the law-enforcers and officials involved in election duties and people from all walks of life to abstain from the ‘one-sided’ elections.

“We have no other option but to wage a tougher movement to push for the demands. Agitation programmes will continue till the time people would be freed from the clutches of vote thieves,” she said.

The rally was also addressed by Jatiya Party chairman HM Ershad and Liberal Democratic Party president AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury.

Sheikh Hasina also called for reconstituting the Election Commission, properly updating voters’ roll, using transparent ballot boxes, keeping the 345 upazila level ‘partisan’ election officers out of the polls process and neutralising the administration before a fresh polls schedule.

“No one-sided elections will be held in Bangladesh as the mega alliance has rejected the polls… and people have rejected the polls,” she said.

She warned that the people involved in the ‘illegal’ elections would be considered enemies to the people.

She accused President Iajuddin of making way for the BNP and the Jamaat-e-Islami to rise to power by holding elections in accordance with their blueprint and said the chief adviser took over the charge of the interim government, violating the constitution.

She also accused the president of carrying out partisan activities in repeated violation of the constitution.

She said there was no complete voters’ roll till date, only 12 day before the polls.“We expected justice of the president as he was a teacher,” she said, wondering whether he was afraid of anybody or had ‘lost his senses’.

The chief adviser would be responsible for any consequences, she warned.

She also accused President Iajuddin of using police to oppress the leaders and activists of the Awami League and its allies.

In his address, Mr Ershad said the president had been working in line with the agenda of a party.

“We will not allow any elections according to the blueprint of that party,” he said.

Mr Badruddoza Chowdhury said the country was facing a political crisis. A conspiracy was being hatched to usurp people’s voting rights, he added.

Workers Party president Rashed Khan Menon urged the people to resist ‘vote thieves’.