Police preserve right to use force if Awami League takes to streets: NCP

National Citizen Party (NCP) on Saturday said the Awami League is clearly an anti-state force and agent of India, and if they take to streets they would do so to destabilise the country, and in that case police will have the right to use force on them.

NCP’s reform coordination committee coordinator and joint convener Sarwar Tushar said this in reply to queries from journalists at a press conference at the party’s head office in Dhaka on Saturday.

The NCP held the press conference as they will submit their primary reform proposal to the National Consensus Commission on Sunday.

The party proposed to lower the election candidate’s age limit to 23 and voter’s age limit to 16 years.

Replying to a query on what would happen if Awami League starts a movement, Sarwar Tushar said, “Awami League will not wage a movement. What they would do, we will not call it a movement. There is a definition of movement in a democratic state. We call it a movement that is waged to press home various demands.”

“Awami League is clearly an anti-state force and an agent of India, and if they take to streets we would not call it a movement. They will wage movement to destabilise the country. In that case the police have the right to use force," he added.

NCP said they are likely to sit with the National Consensus Commission after Eid-ul-Fitr on their proposals.