Since mid-August, hardly a day has passed when newspapers have not published a photograph or  story depicting attacks by the members of the ruling Awami League on the members of its arch rival, the BNP. These attacks have intensified following quite a few ministers’ assertion that their party would not leave the streets for the opposition to occupy. It follows BNP’s serial agitation programmes across Bangladesh protesting price hikes, the ongoing energy crisis and alleged corruption. The statements by ministers were clearly taken by the ruling party members as a signal for resisting any attempts by the opposition parties to organise protests against the government. Though the BNP is the prime target of such denial of public space, parties like the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) and Gono Odhikar Parishad, too, have not been spared.    With exceptions, particularly if attacked by police, most of the recent reports suggest that the BNP has made no serious attempts ...