On 15 November, Chief Election Commissioner Qazi Habibul Awal announced the date while unveiling the election schedule during a televised speech in the evening amid a nationwide blockade by opposition parties.
An hour later, BNP senior joint general secretary Ruhul Kabir Rizvi announced a 48-hour nationwide strike starting at 6:00 am on Sunday, November 19.
It has been seen in the past that an ally of BNP first announced a programme, then other like-minded parties implemented the same programme.