They also blasted the local administration and police for 'not taking any step' to resist the hoodlums and save the BDB and Oikya Mancha leaders from the attack.

A section of local leaders of the ruling BNP were directly involved in the attack, they alleged at a press conference at the Gono Forum office in the capital.

BDB President AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury and Oikya Mancha Convenor and Gono Forum President Dr Kamal Hossain spoke at the press conference while Mahi B Chowdhury MP and other leaders were present.

"For the first time in the history of Bangladesh, an elected government has taken a stand against the people," Badruddoza said. " Popularity of the ruling BNP will go down to a critical level if it does not stop such activities as at Rangpur."

The former president said that in the past many attacks on political leaders were made but this time they (BNP men) resorted to attack on people who gathered there (mass dialogue venue) to express their opinion on the prevailing situation in the country.

"We were not the speakers there, we went there just to hear people coming from all sections of the society. But the ruling party did not allow this," he said.

"Such activities amount to a violation of the constitution and recurrence of such violations will make the rulers lose their right to govern," said a joint statement of the two political groups.

The systematic destruction of rule of law by subordinating the police and administration to the ruling party's arbitrary and unlawful directives cannot be allowed, it added.

The statement further said the people cannot accept gross failure of the government to discharge its basic duty of protecting their life and property and to render the administration and police helpless in the face of unruly elements who were reported to be members of the student and youth wings of the ruling BNP.

Badruddoza said the superintendent of police of Rangpur pretended to be sick while the deputy commissioner went to a local upazila on the day just to avoid responsibility.

There is no doubt that the attackers belonged to the BNP. The Oikya Mancha and the BDB also filed a first information report (FIR) with Rangpur Kotwali thana accusing 12 local Jubo Dal and Chhatra Dal leaders of the attack on their dialogue programme.

Explaining the significance of the programme, Dr Kamal said it aimed to provide all citizens an opportunity to make their voices heard for drawing up a Gonoishtehar (people's manifesto) on the basis of national consensus.

The programme started from Dinajpur and the process will continue, Kamal said.