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AL, BNP debate hartal vs police excesses in JS

Staff Correspondent
The Jatiya Sangsad yesterday witnessed a noisy debate for about half an hour as lawmakers of ruling BNP and main opposition Awami League (AL) traded allegations against each other of violation of ftindamental rights at times of political progranunes like hartal, rallies and processions.
The opposition accused the government of using police to foil its political programmes and assault activists. Even legislators of the opposition could not escape police atrocities, ALmembers said.
Referring to newspaper reports
on government move to make laws to ban hartal, AL lawmaker and former minister Mohammad Nasim alleged the government has planned to deprive the opposition of its constitutional rights to protest.
Brushing aside the reports, BNP Secretary General and LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan said the government has no plans to make any law banninghartal.
Although there is public opinion for banning hartal, the government has not taken any decision about it. Bhuiyan said. Any decision on the issue will be taken in consultation FROM PAGE 1
with the opposition and others concerned, he added.
State Minister for Labour and Employment Amanullah Aman bitterly criticised the previous AL government for torture on the then opposition BNP leaders and activists in violation of their fundamental rights. AL rulers did not spare even the then opposition leader Khaleda Zia, he alleged.
Substantiating his allegations, Amanullah Aman said," Police foiled a Paltan Maidan rally of the then opposition leader on instruction from the then home minister Mohammad Nasim. "He also referred to attacks on Khaleda Zia's motorcade on her way to southern districts during the AL rule and asked if those not violation of fundamental rights."
He mentioned he was an opposition whip during the AL rule and that police had filed as many as 57 cases against him.
Mohammad Nasim demanded of the speaker to allow discussions on issues like activities of Bangla Bhai, Bangladesh candidate's defeat in OIC secretary general election, 'atrocities' on political opponents and 'false' cases against Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina.
As treasury bench members shouted that the opposition was raising irrelevant issues in the name of point of order, Nasim said, "We would not have raised the issues on point of order had the chair allowed us to discuss burning issues facing the people now."
AL lawmaker Mirza Azam said he came under police attacks several times and joint forces members misbehaved with his family members in the name of searching his house. "I was given assurance in 2002 that the matter would be raised at the privilege committee meeting but the committee is yet to meet," he said.
Another AL legislator Shahjahan Khan said police remained indifferent when ruling alliance loyalists went on the rampage following arrest of a city BNP leader in a murder case. "But police were very active in assaulting and arresting innocent leaders and activists of the opposition when they were engaged in peaceful demonstrations on hartal days," he said.
BNP lawmaker Moazzem Hossain Alal accused the opposition of creating anarchy in the name of hartal. "Police take actions only when AL workers set fire to vehicles and damage public property", he said.