Dhaka, July 6 (UNB) - Left Democratic Alliance (LDA), a platform of left-leaning political parties, will enforce a half-day nationwide hartal on Sunday protesting the recent hike in gas prices.

The alliance announced the shutdown programme on July 1, a day after the prices of gas were raised.

Meanwhile, BNP on Friday extended its moral support to the shutdown programme.

The decision was taken at a meeting of BNP standing committee members at the party chief’s Gulshan office.

Dr Kamal Hossain-led Gonoform and ASM Abdur Rab-led Jatiya Samjtantrik Dal also extended their support to the hartal.

The National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports also expressed its solidarity with the movement against the hike in gas prices.

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