The Citizens' Committee for Building Pro-development and Hartal-Free Bangladesh at a meeting yesterday demanded a "referendum on hartal", and called for bringing necessary bills at the Jatiya Sangsad on the basis of the projected opinion of the people, reports BSS.

The meeting, held at the TSC cafeteria of Dhaka University with its convenor Prof Shaha-dat Ali in the chair, decided to forge unity of the greater section of society including the professionals, trade and business organisations and civil society to mould public opinion against the hartal culture’ which has caused untold sufferings to the common man.

Among others, Dhaka University Teachers Association (D’UTA) Vice President Prof Harun-Ar-Rashid. ADAB Director Shamsul Huda. Minar Mansur of ADAB. executive secretary of Parliamentary Democracy Paishad Dr Harun-Ar-Rashid. Genera] Secretary of Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) Azizul Islam Bhuiyan, president of Uttara Bank Employees' Union Serajul Islam Mollah. president of Bangladesh Chhinnamul Samity Khokan Majumder. Dhaka City Van Drivers’ Union general secretary Mohammed Mansur Ali and Dhaka Darjee Sramik Union general secretary Mohammad Nurul Islam took part in the discussion.

A number of representatives from differtat socio-cultural and trade Organisations also attended the meeting.

The speakers said that with the establishment of the democratic rights there is no need in the country to call any hartal.