The rally was called by the coalition in an effort to launch a fresh spell of united 'oust the government' movement.

Senior leaders of the opposition coalition at a news briefing yesterday said so far 4,000 grass roots level leaders and activists of the coalition have been arrested across the country in the last few days and termed the incidents as 'government's bid to foil the rally'.

As all preparations had nearly been completed for tomorrow's rally in Dhaka, opposition leaders at the briefing alleged that in many places police and 'government-backed goons' had been threatening people with dire consequences if they join the rally.

"Wherever there will be obstruction, there will be sit-in demonstrations, and thus we will make the entire country collapse," said Abdul Jalil, convener of the coalition's liaison committee also general secretary of Awami League (AL).

"The government will be responsible for all consequences if people reacts to such repression," he warned at the briefing held at the AL's Dhanmondi office. He also urged the coalition activists to build resistance at every place where the police or the government-backed goons try to prevent people from joining tomorrow's rally.

Jalil alleged that the government is also putting pressure on the owners of buses and trucks for not to rent out transports for the rally purposes.

"The call for the November 22 rally has created enthusiasm among the people and they themselves are taking preparations to attend the rally with the slogan Lets Go to Dhaka," he said. He predicted that about 25 lakh people will join the rally.

Senior opposition leaders including Abdur Razzak, Suranjit Sengupta, Hasanul Haq Inu and Bimal Biswas were present at the briefing.

State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar denied the allegations and said the police are only carrying out their routine work of arresting 'troublemakers'.

"We have taken foolproof security measures for the opposition's Paltan rally," Babar told journalists at the secretariat yesterday.

MINIMUM NATIONAL AGENDA AND AGITATION PROGRAMMES
Leader of the main opposition also the AL chief Sheikh Hasina in presence of all the top leaders of the 14-party opposition coalition will announce the common minimum national programme from tomorrow's rally. She is also expected to announce the coalition's fresh agitation programme for forcing the BNP-Jamaat led ruling alliance to step down.

Senior leaders of the coalition partners told The Daily Star yesterday that the rally is mainly to pledge what the parties will do if they go to power and to give the coalition a concrete shape against the ruling alliance.

"You will see more parties joining us after the rally," said a senior AL leader, adding that these new parties may join the opposition's common platform or initiate simultaneous movement for the end of the present government's rule.

"The final outline of the movement and the common minimum programme to form the next government will be announced from the rally," Jalil said.

Senior opposition leaders held a meeting at Jalil's residence in the city last night where they discussed the draft of the common minimum national programme. The meeting also discussed possible agitation programmes to be announced from the rally.

Sources in the meeting said the draft of the minimum national programme will be finalised at a meeting tomorrow morning before the rally. "We will also finalise our programmes for fresh agitation Tuesday morning before the rally," said an AL leader.

"If the government continues with its repression to foil the rally and obstructs people from joining it, we may go for a 48-hour hartal (general strike)," said a senior opposition leader.

The coalition's common programme will focus on some preferred sectors including education, health, industry, commerce, manpower and employment, mineral resources, social security, information technology, and women and children affairs.

"We will commit before the nation what we will do if the coalition goes to power," Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon told The Daily Star.

Apart from the top leaders of the coalition, leaders of like-minded parties will also join the rally.

Bikalpa Dhara Bangladesh (BDB) President Badruddoza Chowdhury said a representative of his party will attend the rally. "We will participate in the rally as we are in favour of all peaceful and democratic movements against the present government," he told The Daily Star yesterday.

Opposition sources said leaders of the Communist Party of Bangladesh and Jatiya Party (Manju) will also join the rally.

PREPARATIONS FOR THE RALLY
A large tarpaulin-covered stage has been erected at Paltan Maidan where some 100 day-labourers have been working round the clock for the last couple of days to prepare the historical ground for the rally.

Apart from the presence of a large number of law enforcers, 500 volunteers wearing special badges and caps will discharge their duties in and around the venue to ensure a foolproof security to their coalition leaders and the participants during the rally.

Opposition workers have already pasted posters, distributed leaflets and hung banners in Dhaka, its adjacent districts and in other big cities announcing the rally that is scheduled to start at 3:00pm tomorrow. All opposition parties belonging to the coalition are now busy with the final preparations and to this end seven sub-committees have already been formed.

Visiting the control room for the rally set up at the AL central office on Bangabandhu Avenue yesterday this correspondent found that workers were busy in their last minute efforts to mobilise people for the rally.

Most of the senior leaders of the coalition took part in a series of rallies in 12 districts adjacent to Dhaka last week to ensure mass participation.

Opposition leaders said five reception units of the coalition will welcome the participants at all entry points of the capital, which are Kamalapur Railway Station, Sadarghat Launch Terminal, and Gabtali, Jatrabari and Mohakhali Bus Terminals.