BAGERHAT: Sarankhola upazila administration imposed a ban under section 144 on gatherings to avoid unwanted situation after local BNP and Jubo League called confrontational programmes at the same venue.

UNO office said the precautionary measure was taken as both the organisation threw iftar party on the Rayenda Pilot High School premises for Saturday evening.

Zahirul Islam, Upazilla Nirbahi Officer of Sarankhola, told banglanews24.com.bd that he tried to negotiate with local leaders of the ruling and the opposition parties, but failed.

“Later on, for a worrying deterioration of law and order, we imposed section 144 on the venue and adjacent areas till Saturday midnight,” Zahirul said.

Sources said the upazilla BNP took permission to hold its iftar party from the upazila administration some one week before, but upazila Jubo League declared its programme suddenly on Friday.

Tensions built up after the declaration of AL programme and the administration took the decision for imposing Section 144 to avert an impending clash.

BDST 1524 HRS, SEP 04, 2010