Bangladesh to use army to quell protests
Source: Reuters
(Adds Awami comments on army deployment) By Nizam Ahmed DHAKA, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Bangladeshi authorities said on Sunday they would send in troops to help keep order after protesters demanding the removal of election commissioners paralysed much of the country with a violent transport blockade. A man was killed and 50 others were injured on the first day of the blockade, which cut off the capital, Dhaka, from the rest of the country, shut ports and paralysed the main cities, police and witnesses said. President Iajuddin Ahmed met army commanders in Dhaka last week as a 14-party alliance led by Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina announced their plans for transport blockades and other protests unless Iajuddin removed Chief Election Commissioner M.A. Aziz and his deputies by Nov. 12. The home ministry issued a note to district administrations stating: "The government has decided to deploy the army to assist civil administration in the wake of the current law and order situation in the country." Officials in a district southeast of Dhaka confirmed receipt of the note to Reuters. Awami League general secretary Abdul Jalil said "the country's law and order situation has not reached a level where the army's intervention is needed". "I hope our patriotic armed forces will refuse to be used for political purposes or to protect the interest of one group, at the cost of people's rights," Jalil said. "We are struggling to safeguard democracy and ensure people's right to choose their government through a free, fair and credible election." The government did not say when the army would start deploying. The Hasina-led alliance says election commission officials are biased towards the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of Begum Khaleda Zia, whose term as prime minister ended last month. The BNP denies the officials are biased, and has accused the Awami League of trying to push the country into anarchy and sabotage the elections due in January 2007. Iajuddin is heading an interim administration that will run the country until the elections. Hasina told reporters that the transport blockade would continue until her demand for Aziz's removal was met. PROTESTERS DEFY BAN Activists set fire to at least five railway carriages and a bus on the outskirts of Dhaka, where hundreds of protesters gathered despite a ban on demonstrations or rallies. "We have instructed our followers to paralyse the country ... including ports, buses, trains and ferries," Jalil said. Protesters also burned effigies of Aziz, the chief election commissioner, who has rejected calls to step down. He said his officials "are working at full swing to hold the election in the stipulated time". The Awami League said the blockade had been a success and vowed to continue it peacefully until the interim administration fired the election officials. Former army chief Hasan Mashud Chowdhury, a government adviser, said he hoped the crisis "will be resolved in three days", but did not elaborate. Iajuddin has made no public comment on the Awami League demand. Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan, the secretary-general of the BNP, threatened "to launch a peaceful counter campaign against Awami League and its allies". He gave no details. (Additional reporting by Anis Ahmed)
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