A local hotel auditorium, venue of the dialogue programme, virtually plunged into a total disorder as a band of unruly youths allegedly belonging to Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) and Jubo Dal overran it.

Oikya Mancha Convenor Dr Kamal Hossain and BDB President Badruddoza Chowdhury blamed the incident on the ruling alliance. They said the four-party coalition government is afraid of people's power. Though they (BNP-Jamaat) are desperate, they will never be able to suppress the popular demand for ouster of the government, they added.

At yesterday's programme, none of the participants could place any suggestion for the 'Public Manifesto' in the face of resistance by the ruling party's student and youth wings men, witnesses said.

After an hour of constant noise and disturbance, the organisers eventually called off the meeting before schedule.

Earlier, on October 19, at least 30 people were injured when activists

of ruling BNP's front organisations swooped on the audience at another mass dialogue of BDB and Jatiya Oikya Mancha at Rangpur.

The two organisations had launched the series of mass dialogues jointly to draw guidelines in consultation with people across the country on how to root out terrorism and corruption.

At yesterday's meeting, chaos began at around 3:20 pm when Dr Kamal Hossain and Badruddoza Chowdhury had barely made the welcome speeches and urged the audience to place their suggestions.

"Stop this drama and leave at once", a youth shouted from back of the auditorium. He was accompanied by a number of youths, who soon succeeded in disrupting the meeting by thumbing tables and chairs and hurling torrents of abuse at the leaders.

JCD and Jubo Dal workers, who had already taken seats at the hall, also shouted 'catch', 'catch' at the leaders.

Amid the noise, B Chowdhury took the floor and said, "We respect your protest, but please don't disrupt the meeting. We are here to listen to you."

Still the noise continued and at one stage, the youths asked B Chowdhury and Dr Kamal that they could continue with the meting only after ousting the police and newsmen from the auditorium, said witneses.

Some of the youths were even seen running to the dais to attack the leaders. But BDB and Oikya Mancha adherents, with a dozen police, formed a shield and successfully fended off the attack.

At this stage, Dr Kamal Hossain, also the president of Gono Forum, took the microphone and said, "I will see the end of such activities and I'm ready to die if it takes."

In an emotion-choked voice, he urged the youths to take seats and not to make noise any longer. But the youths responded to the call with even more shouts and abuse.

As the situation got worse, a number of leaders requested Dr Kamal to end the programme. But he said, "I will not leave even a minute before, only my dead body will go.

B Chowdhury said, "We are not here to criticise the government or others. We are here to form guidelines basing on the people's suggestions for their welfare."

"We want your suggestions on how to combat terrorism and corruption. Please give us your suggestions, don't disrupt the programme", he requested.

Mahi B Chowdhury said, "Don't think you'll be in power forever. You will be disgraced if you offend us now."

At one stage the youths asked both Badruddoza and Dr kamal a number of questions that often got personal, said witnesses.

They accused them of having ill and ulterior motives for holding the mass dialogues.

"You have been rejected by the people several times and you have no rights to hold such dialogues. You have tarnished country's image abroad with propaganda that fundamentalist groups exist in the country," they shouted at Dr Kamal.

They accused B Chowdhury of hatching a successful conspiracy to kill Ziaur Rahman. One of the youths asked, "What are your sources of income to hold such programme in every district. How much do you earn as a physician and do you pay the income tax?"

B Chowdhury replied, "I return highest income tax among all the physicians in the country."

The youths flew into a rage when a participant taking part in the dialogue criticised family dynasty in politics. The man said, "Being son of Ziaur Rahman doesn't necessarily mean that Tarique Rahman will be a good politician and same applies to other political dynasties."

The intruders shouted till 4:30 when B Chowdhury, also a former president, announced end of the programme.

BDB and Oikya Mancha workers safely escorted Dr Kamal, B Chowdhury, BDB Secretary General Abdul Mannan and spokesman Mahi B Chowdhury MP, to the motorcade and helped them leave the venue unhurt, said witnesses.

Meanwhile, the intruders while leaving the auditorium damaged the glass-made main entrance and beat up a security guard.

They shouted slogans cheering their 'success in foiling the meeting, said a local.

Earlier, when the leaders were enetring the hotel premises, some youths threw stones at their vehicles.