He however had to shift the venue of strike from the National Press Club to the main gate of the Supreme Court (SC) due to police obstruction.

At the end of the fasting, Badruddoza in a short address to the crowd hit back at Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, saying that it's not his alternative stream that will become ineffective, instead her government will soon end up being so.

"After its total failure to run the state, the government is now violating the constitution by infringing on people's rights to expression, free movement and staging rally," he alleged, asking people to force down the government.

"Although it came to power with people's mandate, the government has no right to stay in power anymore as it has failed to carry out its duty to serve people's cause and fulfil the promises it made in the election manifesto," the former president said.

The programme was convened to protest attacks on alternative stream Convenor Badruddoza, Member Secretary Abdul Mannan, a retired major, and some supporters and foiling of March 11 rally at Muktangan.

Journalist and former BNP leader Ferdous Ahmed Qoreshi and General Secretary of Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Janata League Fazlur Rahman condemned the attacks and BNP activists from different parts of the country including 30 from city's Moghbazar led by Hazi Nasir joined the alternative stream.

Amid a last-minute directive by police to political parties not to gather on the road and sidewalks in front of the press club and threats of attacks on their procession, leaders and activists of the alternative stream left its office at KC Memorial Clinic in Baridhara early in the morning. They entered the Supreme Court premises to exchange greetings with lawyers without the knowledge of law enforcers at 9:00am, an hour before staging the hunger strike.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) were deployed in riot gear at the two gates of the press club. They shut the gates at 7:00am to bar leaders and activists of the alternative stream from getting in. Policemen in huge number were also kept on guard from Matsya Bhaban to the press club.

Policemen however came to know of the whereabouts of Badruddoza and his men at 10:40am when they attempted to come out of the Supreme Court premises through the main gate.

As police forced them to go back to the Supreme Court premises, Badruddoza asked policemen to let them hold the hunger strike on the footpath outside the court. On consultation with top government officials, police later allowed them to sit at the gate.

Some 100 leaders and activists of the alternative political stream later began the programme at 10:55am hanging banners from the gate.

Protesting police entry into the Supreme Court premises, former lawmaker and member of national committee of the alternative stream Mahi B Chowdhury demanded resignation of the home minister for asking police to enter the SC premises without permission.

Mannan said, "The government has infringed people's rights in all spheres of life and has let loose miscreants to silence voice against its misdeeds, corruption, injustice."

"Instead of running the state for people's interest, they (government) are advancing family and party interests," Mannan said, threatening a mass agitation to overthrow the government.

Slamming the government for obstructing them from carrying out their programmes, Badruddoza said, "All its undemocratic activities prove that the government has become nervous. While writing the manifesto for the 2001 general elections, I stressed curbing crime and corruption, but I did not know the government is not competent to do such jobs," he said.

"Two lawmakers resigned from the government party as it lost its credibility by getting involved in looting people's money and deviating from its election pledges."

"We want to go to power to work sincerely for people," Badruddoza said, asking people to unite for peace and elimination of violence and corruption from society.

Referring to the stoppage of millions of dollars of exports of Mannan, he said a government that stops export and production cannot be a people's government. "It's a government of terror."

Replying to journalists' query, he said he would initiate talks with other political parties to launch an anti-government movement once he forms his political party.

Alternative stream national committee members Feroz M Hasan, Wahidul Hossain, Dr Muzaffar Ahmad and MA Halim, a retired major general, and Altaf Hossain, former lawmaker Elias Ahmed, former Jubo Dal president Jahangir Hossain, lawyers Sayed Motiul Islam Montu, Mustafizur Rahman, Shah M Badal and Rubi Khanam addressed the hunger strikers.

Monindra Nath and Satyajit of Hindu Oikya Front, Khaled Hossain, former parliament members Abdur Rab Chowdhury, Altaf Hossain, freedom fighter Abir Ahad and Himangsu Singh of Samyabadi Dal also expressed their solidarity with Badruddoza's initiatives.

In the dying hours of the hunger strike, some people brought a microphone for Prof Chowdhury to address the crowd, but police did not allow loudspeaker use without permission.

Rickshawpullers Hazrat Ali and Rafiqul broke the fasting of the hunger strikers at 5:00pm giving them water.

Police chased some 15 supporters of the alternative stream at Matsya Bhaban and picked up as many on their way to the programme from Dhanmondi.