DHAKA, Oct. 2, Reuter: Bangladesh President Hossain Mohammad Ershad has threatened “Constitutional steps” against opponents planning a wave of protests to force him from power.

“If they take it too far, I shall be forced to take recourse to constitutional steps to stop it”, Erschad said in an address to his ruling Jatiya party on Thursday.

Ershad gave no further details, but political observers said he was planning to impose a state of emergency to forestall the protests next month.

Speaking to lusty cheers from thousands of party workers at a Jatiya Party, he said Bangledesh would not tolerate disturbances because it was still fighting the effects of the worst floods in 40 years.

The deluge killed more than 1,300 people and affected 20 million.

“The scar of the devastation is still there”, he said.

Ershad issued the warning as three opposition alliances comprising 20 political groups gave details of their protest plans.

The alliances said “human waves” of demonstrators would lay siege to Dhaka on November 10. Tens of thousands of people would march on the capital from the countryside and surround all government offices, banks, industries, and firms and bring everything toa halt, the opposition parties said.

Officials fear the siege may cripple the government and create a law and order problem that police could not tackle.

An opposition led general strike brought Dhaka to a halt for 54 hours last July.

Ershad has previously appeared relaxed about next month’s siege, describing it as a “political fun and games”. But his aids’ view it differently.

“If it succeeds, it will shatter the President’s political image and render the Jatiya Party a meaningless appendage”, one aide, who requested anonymity, told Reuters.

He said Ershad could be forced to use his emergency powers to preempt the antigovernment siege “because that’s the only option the constitution empowers him to do”.

An article of Bangladesh’s constitution provides that the President can proclaim an emergency if the country’s security or economic life is threatened by internal disturbance external aggression.

Article extracted from this publication >>  October 9, 1987