The government will be compelled to follow a harder line if the opposition continues to walk the path of violence, Junior Law Minister Quamrul Islam said on Monday.
“BNP has clearly chosen a path of violence not dialogue,” he said while speaking to the media in the morning of the first day of the opposition's 60-hour hartal.
Referring to how the shutdown affected final examinations of school pupils countrywide, Quamrul criticised the BNP for calling the hartal.
Class eight final Junior School Certificate, and madrassa equivalent certification Junior Dakhil Certificate, exam schedules were revised for the hartal.
“If BNP continues the path of killing people, vandalism and arson, the government will follow a harder line,” he added.
Dipu Moni: Dialogue and violence don't go together
Ruling Awami Leauge Joint General Secretary and Foreign Minister Dipu Moni came down heavily on the BNP-led opposition for “violence in the name of hartals.”
While speaking to journalists she said that BNP were talking of dialogue on the one hand, and on the other waging violence in the country.
“Dialogues and violence do not go together,” she said.
Ruling Awami League and main opposition BNP are in disagreement over how the upcoming national elections should take place.
The ruling party wants an all-party cabinet to oversee the polls, while the opposition demands a neutral caretaker body.
So far both parties remain commited to their respective positions.
