Awami League (AL) and two other opposition parties enforce today a countrywide dawn-to-dusk hartal across the country to denounce the "misdeeds of three years" by the allianccgovernment.

The main opposition AL, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) and Janata Party also observe the day as Black Day for nation.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia addresses the nation on radio and television today at 7:00pm marking the BNP-led coalition's three years in office.

Khaleda's address will focus on.achievements and future plans

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chief Sheikh Hasina will address an assembly of the elite at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel at 6:30pm to voice the opposition's protests.

Her speech is to "protest the coalition government rule spawning killings, rape, extortion, looting, corruption, price hike and lack of security and demand ouster of the government," said an AL press release.

The AL central leaders and lawmakers will stage demonstrations at 22 city points during the shutdown from 6:00am to 6:00pm. The leaders and workers of AL's front organisations will remain active on the streets, sources said.

Hasina announced the hartal from a grand rally in Dhaka on October 3. The JSD and Janata Party also called the hartal from separate rallies in the city.

As many as 7,500 police besides paramilitary Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) will be deployed to maintain law and order during the hartal hours.