Opposition alliance announces nationwide agitation over July Charter

The Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami-led 11-party opposition alliance on Thursday announced a five-phase nationwide agitation programme to press for the implementation of the July National Charter in line with the referendum verdict, alongside a 10-point charter of demands focusing on the country’s energy crisis, soaring living costs and governance.
The programme includes four long marches and a grand rally in Dhaka over the next three months. 
The alliance will organise a road march from Dhaka to Chattogram on 5 September, another to Rangpur on 19 September, followed by a road march to Khulna on 10 October. 
A rail march from Dhaka to Sylhet is scheduled for 24 October, culminating in a grand rally in the capital on 14 November.
The announcement came at a rally in Dhaka attended by senior leaders of the opposition alliance, including the National Citizen Party (NCP). 
Speakers warned that the government should not expect to continue governing if it failed to implement the July Charter.
Alongside the protest programme, the alliance placed a 10-point demand, calling for action over alleged inflated electricity bills, reforms to electricity and gas billing, urgent measures to ease the energy crisis, steps to curb soaring commodity prices, improvements in law and order, and accountability for corruption and mass killings.
The alliance also demanded a public hearing into alleged “ghost” electricity bills, the abolition of what it described as unreasonable electricity charges, suspension of gas bill collection in areas without gas supply, and initiatives to increase domestic gas production.
Its demands further included an investigation into the failure of the Moheshkhali LNG terminal, stronger measures to prevent gas theft and reduce system losses, uninterrupted energy supply to industries, and adequate supplies of LPG and CNG.
The opposition alliance also called for exemplary punishment for those responsible for corruption and mismanagement in the power and energy sector.