DHAKA: Main opposition BNP’s Senior Joint Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir Wednesday warned the government that if anybody tried to obstruct hartal on June 27, battle would break out to break the barrier.  

“BNP wants to observe the hartal peacefully. If anything wrong happens, the government has to bear all liabilities,” said the BNP leader.  

He sounded the forewarning when newly elected leaders of Narayanganj district Swechhasebok Dal convening committee paid their tributes to the grave of former president Ziaur Rahman at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in the city.  

Labeling the present government as fascist, he said, ”The BNP chairperson has announced the programme of hartal based on public opinions collated from divisional grand rallies.”

He also told journalists that the government is devoid of democratic values.

“The government is torturing rudely the leaders-activists of the opposition and journalists to impose autocratic rule. So, we are going to observe hartal to protest the government’s autocratic behaviour,” he said.

Protesting Chhatra League’s attack on Chhatra Dal, the BNP leader said it appeared that the government wants to establish “autocratic rule in the name of democracy”.

Besides, BNP started mass contact in support of hartal at different places in the city on Wednesday morning. He also deplored that police even barred the activities. “The government is meting out undemocratic treatment to the opposition,” he told the journalists.   

BDST 1:40 hrs June 23, 2010
MM/RS/MMA/MUA