"If the DU is not reopened within three days, then with the help of students and people we will make arrangements to resume classes and hold examinations," Bhuiyan said addressing Dhaka Division rally of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) at Central Shaheed Minar.

The Awami League (AL)-backed Chhatra League and five other student organisations have enforced an indefinite strike since September 14 to protest JCD activists' attack on their rally on the campus on September 11.

Mannan Bhuiyan, also minister for LGRD and Cooperatives, said, "We cannot allow any one to jeopardise academic life of thousands of students and hold them hostage."

He went on, "Dhaka University has its authorities and they can solve if the strike callers have any problems. "

Turning to national politics, Bhuiyan said the October 10 'issueless' hartal the AL has called aims to destroy the national economy.

"Hartal is now considered a political weapon to destroy the country. Hartal no longer reflects the hopes or demands of people because they are opposed to it," he stressed.

The BNP secretary general said his AL counterpart Abdul Jalil had earlier warned of tougher programmes including hartal if the government obstructed its public rally (on Sunday) but they (AL) called hartal although the government took all possible security measures to ensure holding of the rally without any obstructions.

On the August 21 grenade blasts at an AL rally, Bhuiyan said the main opposition party does not want proper investigation or trial of people involved in the incident. They (AL) just want to capitalise on the incident to go to power and that is why they are demanding resignation of the government, he added.

"We will not step down even a minute ahead of the expiry of our five-year tenure," he said and asked the AL to wait for two years more when people will decide through election who will be in power or in opposition.

Referring to AL President Sheikh Hasina's speech at Sunday's rally, Bhuiuan wondered she had earlier blamed the army for the grenade attacks and she now asks them (army) to investigate the incident.

Hasina's recent remarks clearly proved she has no trust in the Judiciary, bureaucracy, army, police and the people of Bangladesh, he added.

The student wing of the BNP organised the rally as part of its division-wise rallies and JCD President Shahabuddin Laltu presided.

State Minister for Labour and Employment Amanullah Aman, BNP lawmaker Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu, BNP's Student Affairs Secretary Fazlul Haq Milon MP and JCD central leaders also spoke on the occasion.