In a press note issued late Friday night, the Ministry of Home Affairs said the government has come to know that a few political parties have announced a programme of 'long march' towards Dhaka.

To implement the programme, the leaders and the activists of various tiers of those parties have been delivering provocative speeches and making announcement of Dhaka siege in the name of long march at different places of the country, it said.

Such activities will tarnish goodwill and image of Bangladesh which cannot be desirable anyway, it added.

Creating public suffering and destroying public property are against the law of the land and it is the duty of the government to protect public life and property, the press note said.

Home secy sees no arrest
Home Secretary Safar Raj Hossain yesterday dismissed the allegation of mass arrests across the country in the wake of opposition's long march towards Dhaka, reports UNB.

"We have no reports of mass arrests from anywhere across the country," he told a press briefing at the home ministry in the afternoon, rebutting the allegation.

The government is conscious of the long march programme, he said, adding that the government has its own responsibilities to look after all sorts of convenience of the city-dwellers during the programme.

Pointing to negative impact of the long march, he said due to the long march and threat to lay siege to Dhaka, the prices of oil, fertiliser and other essential commodities might go up as the distribution of these items will be hampered a lot.

"The government is determined to resist lawfully any kind of activities that will go against people's welfare," he told the journalists.

Replying to a question, the home secretary said they have no information on any subversive acts.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) MA Quayyum said they have taken stringent security measures for the smooth holding of the opposition programme.

"We have taken maximum cautionary measures to avert any kind of violence," the police chief added.

High officials of the home ministry and Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioners also attended the press briefing.