The InternationalCovenant on Civil and Political Rights: A Study on Bangladesh Compliance but on occasions use the infamous Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code to prevent opposition political groups from holding meetings and demonstrations. The Code authorizes the administration to ban assembly of more than four persons, subject to certain conditions. According to ASK, the administration used this provision at least 93 times in 2010. At times, police or ruling party activists or both use force to disperse demonstrations. On July 28, 2010 the Dhaka Metropolitan Police issued an order banning all student protests in certain areas of the city, citing traffic concerns. The law provides for the right of every citizen to form associations, subject to ‘reasonable restrictions’ in the interest of morality or public order, and unlike the martial law regimes, political governments generally respect this right. Individuals are free to join private groups; trade unions are generally able to conduct their normal activities. However, the law made it nearly impossible to form new trade unions in many sectors, such as the ready-made garment industry. Civil service and security force employees are legally prohibited from forming unions. Since 2006, new categories of workers, including teachers and NGO workers, are permitted to form unions; however, due to the broad limitations on union-organising during the state of emergency, these regulations were not formally instituted. 98 Ibid. 79