Hartal can be banned if people want:Daily Star

If people want, the government will consider formulating a law to ban hartal in the country, Law Minister Anisul Huq has said. “What we see in the name of hartal now is nothing but terrorism. We have an anti-terrorism law and it will be used to tackle terrorist activities,” he told a “meet the reporters” programme at Dhaka Reporters Unity yesterday. Replying to a question, the minister reiterated
that BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was not being confined to her office at Gulshan. “The government is not preventing anybody from doing politics, but trying to stop terrorist activities and protect peoples' lives and properties,” he said. He also said the government would not engage in dialogue with any party “at gunpoint or in the face of threat of hurling bombs”. Anisul Huq added that the government would take necessary steps for bringing BNP leader Tarique Rahman back to the country so that he can be put on trial. Tarique is facing several cases. The minister said the government would formulate a new law either in April or May for the appointment of some new Supreme Court judges. Advertisement He hoped that the proposed amendment to the relevant law for trying and punishing an organisation for war crimes committed in 1971 would be placed before the cabinet meeting at the end of this month for its approval. He also said the real killers of journalist couple Sagor Sarowar and Meherun Runi would be identified through the ongoing investigation. Replying to another question, Anisul said he would take steps against the law enforcers who had tried to enter and “search” the office of English daily New Age at Tejgaon without any valid documents.