Bangladesh lifts restriction on political rallies, meetings

The Bangladeshi government on Tuesday lifted restriction on political rallies and meetings but reiterated commitment to continuing a life ban for terrorists and extremists to holding any such events. Bangladeshi State Minister for Home Affairs Shamsul Hoque Tuku made the announcement at a media briefing here on Tuesday. He said "Peaceful rallies and meetings will be continued in accordance with the constitution." But the minister said "The restriction on rallies and meetings organized by terrorists and extremists will remain in place for life." Bangladesh's government on May 19 banned political rallies for one month, a step that opposition described as an attempt to mute dissenting voices over poll-time government. In the seaport city Chittagong, some 240 km southeast of capital Dhaka, Home Minister MK Alamgir gave the announcement while showing the incidents of deadly violence in the recent months as reasons behind the decision to ban rallies and meetings. Violence that erupted on May 5 and continued until the next day left dozens of people dead and hundreds injured. Demanding of a non-party caretaker government system to oversee the next general elections slated for early 2014, unconditional release of leaders and protesting the ban on rallies for one month, Ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's 18-party opposition alliance on May 26 enforced a countrywide general strike. Khaleda's Bangladesh Nationalist Party had earlier warned Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Bangladesh Awami League (AL) party government of waging tougher movements if the main opposition is barred from holding rally to drum up public support for its long- standing demand for restoration of the non-party caretaker government system. As the outgoing government hands over their power, the caretaker government comes into place and its main objective is to ensure an election can be held in a free and fair manner without any political influence of the outgoing government. Since 1996, in the South Asian country, which has a history of frequent electoral fraud and violence, the caretaker government has held elections in 1996, 2001 and 2008, which were recognized as free and fair by local and international observersEnditem