The BNP-led 20-party alliance has extended its countrywide hartal till 6:00am Friday demanding return of BNP leader Salahuddin Ahmed who went missing on March 10.

In a statement issued by BNP Joint Secretary General Barkat Ullah Bulu this afternoon, the alliance also announced to hold protest rallies and processions across the country on Thursday.

The 20-party combine in the release called upon the countrymen to hold prayers at their respective religious shrines including mosques, pagoda and temples on Friday for safe return of Salahuddin.

“We have repeatedly called for producing him before court if he had been arrested on any charges, but it is unacceptable that an important political leader of his stature will be made vanished,” Bulu said.

Salahuddin's family alleged some plainclothes men showed identity cards of the Detective Branch of police and picked up the BNP joint secretary general from a house in the capital's Uttara on the night of March 10.

The hartal is going on alongside the 20-party’s nonstop countrywide transport blockade.

The continuous shutdowns forced the authorities concerned to take the Secondary Scholl Certificate (SSC) exams on revised dates.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia announced the blockade for an indefinite period on January 5 after having failed to come out of her Gulshan office to join a planned rally of the 20-party alliance.