Staff Reporter

The leaders of the National Committee for Protection of Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Port yesterday called upon the people to make the half-day hartal in the capital on September 14.

They gave the hartal call for the cancellation of the decision to lease out three gas blocks in Bangladesh maritime boundary to foreign companies and protesting the police excesses on its procession in the capital on September 2.

The committee held meetings at different places in the capital including Mohammadpur, Mirpur, Pallabi, Tejgoan, Paltan, Sutrapur, Khilgoan, Lalbag and Shantinagar to drum up support of the people for the success of the half-day long hartal. Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) Ruhin Hossain Prince, Ahsan Habib Lablu, Jali Talukder and Jahid Hossain, leaders of Bangaldesher Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) Bazlur Rashid Firoj, Julfikar Ali, Malay Sarker and Sadrul Hasan Ripan, leader of Gonotantri Party Sharafat Ali Hira, leaders of Gonosanghati Andolan Abu Bakar Ripan and Bachchu Bhuyian, leaders of Gonofront Nazrul Islam and Sabnam Hafiz, among others addressed the meetings.

The Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) at a meeting yesterday lent support to the hartal call.

The meeting was held at its central office in the city with president of CPB Manjurul Ahsan Khan in the chair.

General secretary of CPB Mujahidul Islam Selim, presidium members Shahidullah Chowdhury, Md Shah Alam, Sheikh Moniruzzaman, Syed Abu Jafar Ahmed and Shahadat Hossain, among others, attended it.