The Democratic Left Alliance at a rally on Tuesday protest at the police attack on its leaders and activists during a programme of laying siege to the energy ministry. — New Age photo

The Democratic Left Alliance on Tuesday called on the Awami League-led government to refrain from increasing power and fuel prices afresh.
The leaders of the alliance, a combine of seven left leaning political parties, made the urge at a rally organised by the alliance in front of the National Press Club protesting against the police attacks on its energy ministry besieging programme on December 30, 2012.
The alliance coordinator, Zonayed Saki, who chaired the rally, said that the combine would announce tougher agitation programmes including general strike if the government increased further the prices of power and fuel.
The present government already increased power price in six phases and fuel price in the last four years, Saki said adding that any further increase of the prices would make life unbearable for the people.
The alliance will hold countrywide weeklong mass contact programmes from January 4 to drum up supports to its programmes, Saki said.
He said, ‘We shall also sit with other left and democratic political parties to extend their supports to the strike and to finalise the date.’
He demanded inquiry into the police attack on the rally of the alliance that left 20 leaders and activists injured on Monday and exemplary punishment of the police involved with the attack.
Alliance leaders Saiful Huq, Mushrefa Mishu, Mosharraf Hossain Nannu, Abdus Satter, Hamidul Haque and Mainuddin Chowdhury Liton, among others, addressed the rally.
The rally was followed by a procession.