Govt mulls tough law on hartal

The government is mulling over formulating a new law regarding hartal that will force any political party to pay for the damage done in the shutdown enforced by them.
Home Minister Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir said this at a view exchange meeting on law and order organised by Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) at its auditorium in the port city yesterday.
Otherwise the party's registration would be cancelled, the home minister added.
Hartal had remained a stigma attached to the nation, he said, urging all to resist autocratic forces in order to save democracy.
Replying to the journalists' queries, he said the opposition leaders had been being sent to jail not for belonging to opposition camps but for being accused of criminal offences.
CCCI President Mahbubul Alam chaired the meeting.
Awami League (AL) lawmakers MA Latif and Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed, and Jatyia Samajtantrik Dal lawmaker Mainuddin Khan Badal also took part in the meeting.
Earlier in the day, the home minister inaugurated four new police stations at Sadarghat, EPZ, Akbarshah and Chawkbazar under Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) at a programme in the city's Police Lines Shooting Club around 12:30pm.
After the programme, the home minister told the journalists that BNP Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman would be brought back to the country as he had breached      the condition of his bail in Zia Charitable Trust graft case.
“Tarique Rahman went abroad showing medical reasons but he has violated his bond condition by delivering political speech at a rally abroad,” the minister said. “Tarique will be brought back to the country and necessary legal actions will be taken against him.”
Primary and Mass Education Minister Dr Afsarul Amin, local AL lawmakers and leaders, CMP and police high officials were also present at the programme.