The government taking a hard line against the opposition programme has directed the home ministry to take strict security measures to prevent opposition activists from gathering around the PMO at any cost. Similar measures were taken to prevent the opposition activists from sitting-in at the Secretariat on March 30.

Directed by the government high-ups, law enforcers have designed stringent security measures as the opposition coalition starts a series of programmes from today starting with holding of a grand rally by Awami Jubo League in the capital this afternoon.

On the other hand, the Awami League-led coalition has decried the ban imposed by Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) and expressed firm determination to stage the programme tomorrow, disregarding the ban.

Referring to the ban, opposition leader Sheikh Hasina at a discussion yesterday said the government could not avert its downfall by unleashing the police on the people.

"Tyranny of the government has been defeated in Kansat and the same will happen wherever the government will try to oppress democratic movement of the people," Hasina also the AL chief said.

She urged the law enforcers to decide whether they would stand beside the people or would continue to protect the corrupt regime.

"It is nothing new...this government had imposed ban on our programme last month. The government should refrain from showing this kind of autocratic attitude and give up the blue print for holding a controversial election rather. If the government does so, we will not agitate further," Hasanul Haque Inu, president of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JCD), a component of the 14-party coalition, told The Daily Star yesterday.

"Thousands of people will participate in the sit-in programme to protest the prime minister's anti-people activities," the JCD leader said.

The opposition coalition will sit in a meeting today to decide the next course of action following the ban. It will declare its next programme tomorrow following an evaluation of the government's attitude towards its already announced programme, sources said.

The opposition line-up announced the sit-in programme on March 30 to press home its demand for reforms in the caretaker government system and the Election Commission.

Directed by the government high-ups, DMP Commissioner SM Mizanur Rahman imposed the 24-hour ban from midnight today to midnight tomorrow due to what he considers a security threat to the PMO.

The ban is imposed on carrying any kind of arms, explosives and other harmful substances as well as on holding rallies, processions, demonstrations, laying siege to the PMO and on sit-in programmes around the PMO.

"There is an apprehension of disruption of security of the PMO as a section of political parties has announced a siege and a sit-in programme around the very important office," a press release signed by DMP Commissioner SM Mizanur Rahman said.

"Maintaining a peaceful atmosphere and public safety there is needed," he added.

DMP Sources said plans have been chalked out to halt the opposition activists far away from the PMO by barbed-wire barricades and by deploying additional security forces.

The mainstream opposition coalition that has been agitating since last year has already faced several government-sponsored obstructions to their programmes.

Law enforces foiled the opposition's March 12 programme to lay siege to the Election Commission Secretariat and the government imposed a ban on all kinds of rallies around the Secretariat ahead of the coalition's sit-in programme on March 30 in front of the Secretariat.

The government declared the opposition line-up's February 5 long-march programme illegal, and said, to protect public interests and property it would resist any attempt to disrupt law and order.

Ahead of the opposition-announced November 22 grand rally last year, a government-backed transport workers union enforced a wildcat strike to foil the rally.

RESTRICTED AREAS
The ban will be enforced from Mohakhali crossing to Shaheed Jahangir Gate, from PSC to Parjatan crossing, from Bijoy Sarani to Aeroplane crossing, from Rokeya Sarani to Shishu Mela crossing, from Shishu Mela crossing to eastern side of Mohammadia Supermarket via Mirpur Road, from Dhanmondi 27 (old) to Square Hospital on Panthapath through Tallabagh and Sukrabad, from Square Hospital to Shelley crossing via Hotel Sundarban crossing, Free School Street and Bangla Motor Link Road, from Bangla Motor crossing to Maghbazar intersection, from Maghbazar intersection to Tongi Diversion Road up to Ahmed CNG filling station, from Ahmed CNG to Rainbow crossing and from Satrasta crossing to Mohakhali via Nabisco crossing.

All areas and roads, lanes and by-lanes under the above mentioned areas have been put under the ban, the release added.

OPPOSITION'S PREPERATION
The opposition coalition meanwhile has undertaken massive preparations to mobilise a huge number of people from all across the capital and its adjacent districts for tomorrow's programme.

In the last couple of days, senior leaders of the opposition parties and their front organisations held series of meetings preparatory to the programme.

A day before the sit-in programme, Awami Jubo League, youth front of the main opposition in parliament AL, will hold a grand rally in the capital today and Leader of the Opposition Sheikh Hasina, who will address the rally, is likely to give directives to her party activists.

Dhaka city unit of AL yesterday in a news release alleged that the police have started rounding up its activists and leaders in the capital since Sunday, especially in the old part of the city.

The release also alleged that although the police are saying that they are carrying out routine law and order maintenance drive, in reality they are singling out AL leaders and activists for arrests.