Protests paralyse B'desh despite police ban

BANGLADESH: Thousands of protesters squatted on highways and besieged Bangladesh's main cities on Monday as a political crisis over January elections showed no sign of easing.

Witnesses said supporters of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who wants to force the removal of election commissioners she accuses of bias, massed on the outskirts of Dhaka, Chittagong and other cities despite a police ban on rallies.

The caretaker government of President Iajuddin Ahmed had said it would deploy the army to keep order after a man was killed and 50 others wounded on Sunday, the first day of the transport strike which also shut down ports. The interior ministry, in a statement sent to local newspapers on late Sunday, said no decision had been made to deploy troops immediately "but (the army) can be used in case the situation demands".

The 14-party alliance led by Awami League leader Hasina want the president to sack Chief Election Commisioner M.A. Aziz and his deputies, saying they are being partial towards the Bangladesh Nationalist Party of Begum Khaleda Zia, who ended her five-year term as prime minister last month.

Hasina and her allies said they will maintain the blockade until the commissioners are removed or resign.

Aziz, a retired Supreme Court judge, has refused to quit and BNP officials threatened to launch a "counter-protest" if the Awami League did not call off the transport blockade soon.

Awami League General Secretary Abdul Jalil said on Sunday he hoped troops would not get involved.

"The country's law and order situation has not reached a level where the army's intervention is needed," he said.

"I hope our patriotic armed forces will refuse to be used for political purposes or to protect interest of one group, at the cost of people's rights."

Bangladeshis consider the army as a neutral force, though they have occasionally intervened in domestic politics.

Dhaka, Monday, Reuters