A number of left-leaning political parties enforced a half-day hartal to protest against the recent hike in prices of gas for retail consumers.

As a part of the hartal, left-leaning political parties have started picketing in different areas of Dhaka city from 6:00am.

The Progressive Students' Alliance--a left-leaning student platform-- blocked Shahbagh intersection in Dhaka on Sunday morning, in support of the strike.

In another incident, Nagarik Oikya --that extended their support to the hartal-- blocked thoroughfare in front of the National Press Club in the morning. 

The left alliance announced the strike on Jul 1, a day after the prices were raised.

Vehicular movement on the roads in Dhaka and elsewhere were normal. Office-goers were seen joining their respective workplaces while students attended their institutions. 

BNP, Gono Forum, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, Nagorik Oikya, Bangladesh National Awami Party (NAP), Bangladesh Khilafat Majlish, National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports, Ganasamhati Andolon, Communist Party of Bangladesh, and a number of other political opposition groups have already thrown their weight behind the general strike.

Saiful Haque, the general secretary of the Biplobi Workers Party or Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh (RWPB), told Bangla Tribune taht, the government has increased the gas price illogically.

Saturday, the left-leaning parties brought out a procession from National Press Club to Sadarghat in the capital to get mass people’s support in the strike.

On Jun 30 last, the government raised the gas prices by 32.8 percent on average for the retail consumers in the country with effect from Jul 1.