THE use of force by police on what was a peaceful opposition rally in front of the BNP office on Sunday afternoon was self-evidently unwarranted. We feel that the police wrongly, and on purpose, violated democratic norms in this particular case given the patently abrasive manner in which they swooped down upon a particular segment of the rally without any obvious provocation.

The opposition alliance had withdrawn their call for hartal on Sunday in consideration of the dengue affliction and settled for holding rallies and processions against the government on the same day. But judging by what the police did it looks as if the government was determined to force the opposition to call a hartal which it has.

The opposition had to change their venue from Muktangaon to the BNP headquarters at Naya Pal-tan in the knowledge that the 11-party conglomerate had scheduled a meeting at the former place. When the opposition alliance activists started converging on the spot in small processions from different parts of the city the police had already been deployed on the approach roads with full riot gears including prison vans. This was indication enough of what was to come later in the evening. As one of the alliance leader JAGPA chief Prodhan started accusing the home minister for the deteriorating law and order the police swooped on the peaceful gathering of people and started beating them up. right, left and centre. What followed were running battles between the police and the demonstrators. There was firing of teargas canisters and also rubber bullets which left a number of activists injured, some of them critically. In the melee many activists went wild and started bashing cars which can never be condoned. Yet it has become quite obvious after Sunday's police action that the ruling party desperately wants a confrontational situation against the combined opposition, otherwise (here was no earthly reason to go for such a wanton use of force.

People, whether politically organised or socially. have every right in a democratic society to express their opinion or grievances against any organisation. including the government of the day. In a lawful manner. Any hindrance or action against such demonstration can rightly be construed as violation of their constitutional rights. Sunday's police action on peaceful demonstrators is definitely one such example.

Increasingly, the government is giving the impression that its respect' for democratic practices is only in words, not in deeds. Are we to believe they are bent upon depriving the opposition of am option to voice their dissent?