"ACTION OVER CONTINUOUS BLOCKADE After power, cable, internet also snapped at BNP Chairperson Khaleda’s office"

ACTION OVER CONTINUOUS BLOCKADE

After power, cable, internet also snapped at Khaleda’s office

Seven hours into the disconnection of power supply, the authorities severed internet and cable connections to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office in Dhaka this morning.

The office staff found the cable network snapped when they turned on the TV around 9:00am, said Shamsuddin Didar, a staff of BNP chairperson's media wing.

The internet connection was also severed since that time, Didar told The Daily Star.

During the early hours of today, Dhaka Electric Supply Company Limited (Desco) stopped power supply to Khaleda‘s office.

After stopping the power supply, Moksed Ali, a lineman of Desco, told reporters that he cut BNP chief’s political office’s power line at around 2:42am on instruction from top authorities of Gulshan police. Moksed declined to elaborate further.

Around 4:00am, staff at the office started a generator, Shamsuddin Didar, a staff of BNP chairperson’s media wing, told The Daily Star.

The actions came 11 hours after Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan threatened that water and electricity lines of Khaleda’s office will be disconnected if she did not withdraw blockade by February 2.

On information, reporters rushed to Khaleda’s office and saw total darkness at Khaleda’s Gulshan office where she has been staying since January 3.

A number of police vans, sand, bricks, cement carrying trucks, a water cannon and additional number of police were deployed in front of Khaleda’s office since January 3 midnight in a bid to confine her there.

Police however removed all the barriers and withdrew additional law enforcers on January 18. Khaleda however opted to remain at her office.