The politics seems to heading for another bout of confrontation following a week of violence over a youth rally of the main opposition, a 14-party sit-in programme, and hartal, with the Awami League-led 14-party opposition line-up yesterday announcing a Dhaka-siege programme for May 21.

The opposition combine yesterday also announced a set of fresh programmes including rallies and processions in Dhaka and other parts of the country against price hike of essentials, power crisis, Islamist militancy, unabated corruption, and repression on journalists and opposition members.

The combine enforces a daylong hartal today in protest of what it said were police atrocities on April-19 to foil its sit-in programme in front of the Prime Minister's Office.

Meantime, in Tangail the local chapter of the main opposition Awami League (AL) yesterday locked horn with police protesting an imposition of the Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code at and around its meeting venue. The clash left about 20 people injured.

The ruling alliance too has gone for a tough stance and announced to face the opposition in the street with counter programmes.

The ruling BNP will stage demonstration rallies across the country Tuesday protesting what it terms the anarchic politics of the opposition, BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan announced from a rally in the capital last Friday.

Against this background of frequent police-opposition clashes, political analysts predict more street violence in the coming days.

Sources said the 14-party line-up is focusing more on the ongoing street agitation to keep on pressure on the government, which has only six months remaining of its term.

In regard to the proposed dialogue, analysts say BNP's coalition partner Jamaat-e-Islami stands as a barrier between the AL and BNP.

The opposition camp has already said it would not sit in a discussion with Jamaat's participation, while Mannan Bhuiyan has hinted at including Jamaat leaders in the government delegation to the dialogue.

AL Joint General Secretary Obaidul Quader sent the last letter to the BNP secretary general on April 16, nominating five AL leaders to represent the opposition alliance in the dialogue and urging BNP to keep its nominations limited to its leaders only. But, there

has been no reply yet to that letter from the government side.

Sources said BNP is foot-dragging in responding to the opposition letter and naming government representatives in the dialogue due to Jamaat's pressure. Jamaat high-ups have met the prime minister and insisted on including Jamaat men in the government team.

No dialogue on reform proposals would take place without participation of Jamaat leaders, Jamaat Secretary General Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mujahid declared at a rally in Lalmonirhat yesterday.

He said, "If Jamaat is left out from the dialogue on reform proposals, it would go for tougher movement and foil the consensus reached through the dialogue at any cost."

Also yesterday, an AL Presidium meeting accused the prime minister of speaking against the electoral reforms and Mannan Bhuiyan of dilly-dallying in correspondence about the dialogue, as he has failed to respond to the opposition letter even after a week, the highest decision-making body of AL observed.

"Alongside the electoral reform agenda, we will continue movement in the streets exposing the government's failures and corrupt practices," AL Presidium Member Abdur Razzak told newsmen after the meeting.

Another presidium member, Tofail Ahmed, said, "We will focus on street agitation more, even if there is any dialogue with the government sans Jamaat on reforms in caretaker government system, Election Commission and electoral rules."

The opposition alliance's fresh programmes include countrywide demonstrations demanding uninterrupted power supply in all districts and upazilas on April 30, workers rally in Mirpur, Dhaka on the May Day, and further demonstrations across the country on May 7 demanding reduction of essentials prices. Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Sheikh Hasina will address the Mirpur rally on May 1.