BNP termed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's statement in parliament about restoring the 1972 Constitution "illegal" as the opposition party thinks there is no scope to fall back over so many years that have gone by through major changes. "After long years, there is no scope for a return to that place (72 Constitution)," said BNP secretary-general Khandaker Delwar Hossain yesterday, criticizing the Prime Minister's statement made Wednesday.

Repelling the charge of tailoring the original national Constitution by psot-'75 regimes, he said: "It is Awami League which has fragmented the '72 Constitution with the Fourth Amendment." Addressing a human-chain programme in the city, Delwar deplored that they (AL) had established one-party rule through establishing BAKSAL by "killing multiparty democracy". Jatiyatabadi Swechhasebok Dal organised the human chain demanding withdrawal of "false" cases and end to "smear campaign" against BNP's senior joint-secretary-general, Tarique Rahman.

The BNP secretary-general claimed that 'undeclared famine' is prevailing in the country. He said it is now a big question how unemployed people are surviving. People are now getting small amounts of essentials in exchange for large amounts of money, he added. Delwar alleged the present 'failed' government wants to stay in power by means of repression though it has failed to solve any single problem of the people. About the ruling party's move to restore secularism in the Constitution, he said they are talking tall about secularism but "Awami League is a big communal party". In this regard, he mentioned that the party had kept "head of a cow at a puja mandap during last Durga Puja".

He criticised the act of setting fire to memorial and books of late President Ziaur Rahman at Sonargaon Museum and erasing name plaque of Khaleda Zia at Chandpur. "Such activities are being done with the support of the government to destroy BNP systematically," he said. The BNP secretary-general strongly demanded that the government refrain from filing cases and also stop ill propaganda against BNP leaders. Hundreds of leaders and workers of Swechhasebok Dal, including its president Habibun Nabi Khan Sohel and general secretary Sharafat Ali Sapu, attended the human-chain programme.

-The Independent