This will be the third hartal in five days, with Jubo League's parent organisation the main opposition Awami League enforcing a 6:00am-6:00pm shutdown across the country on Thursday and Saturday.

The AL and its other front organisations have thrown their weight behind today's hartal that holds immense political significance after Prime Minister Khaleda Zia hinted at a rally on Saturday that the government supporters would take the opposition activists head-on if they go for any political programme to spark violence.

The Jubo League has kept Satkhira district out of the hartal's purview to facilitate the observance of the two-day Urs of saint Gausul Azam Dehlabi Abdul Aziz (RA) beginning today at Gunakar Kathi village in Assassuni Upazila.

More than 5,000 law enforcers including members of the paramilitary Bangladesh Rifles, Armed Police Battalion, Riot Control Division and ansars will stand guard in the capital should there be a slide in law and order during the hartal hours.