One dead in Bangladesh, army withdrawn abruptly

One person was killed in a clash between police and political activists Monday morning as Bangladesh was plunged into a serious political crisis though the army deployed in major cities Sunday was withdrawn abruptly.

President Iajuddin Ahmed, heading a caretaker government, finds himself at odds, not only with the agitating political parties, but also many of his advisors on measures to meet the street violence, reports said.

After a daylong 'siege' of Dhaka turned violent, the army was deployed across the country to help civil administration maintain law and order, but it was withdrawn soon as some of the advisors, enjoying ministerial rank as per the constitution, said they were "surprised" at Ahmed's decision.

Some of them said there was no discussion about possible army deployment when the council met and that they had come to know of it from TV news channels.

The advisors felt that army deployment unnecessary and it would only provoke the agitating political parties further.

Government sources said troop movement was on the behest of Major (Rtd) Mohammed Iskandar, brother of former prime minister Khaleda Zia.

However, several middle-rank officers of the Bangladesh Army have opposed intervening in the crisis, according to these sources.

The Daily Star newspaper reported that the decision to deploy army was "a unilateral move" by Ahmed and that the advisors had been kept in the dark".

Home Secretary S.M. Jahoorul Islam had informed the local administrations of the decision Sunday afternoon. But a late night handout by a joint secretary of the home ministry said: "In fact, regarding the army deployment the government has decided that the troops might be deployed after taking into consideration the situation. Since no such situation has arisen, the decision to deploy the army has not yet been taken."

As the 'siege' of the capital by the 14-party opposition alliance entered its second day, one person was killed in clashes between the police and agitating activists in the capital while a number of people were injured, UNB news agency reported.

The clash broke out at about 11.30 a.m. when police tried to disperse Awami League workers holding a rally on the road. The angry workers set afire a police van at about 11.40 a.m.

Police used teargas shells and rubber bullets to control the mob. During the clash, an unidentified man aged 38 died. Witnesses said he was run over by a police car during the chase and counter-chase.

Three bogies of a train were derailed, injuring 10 people in Mymensingh in northern Bangladesh, the news agency reported.

The 14-party alliance is asking President Iajuddin Ahmed to step aside as the chief advisor of the interim government that is to prepare the country for parliamentary elections next January.

The opposition is also demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner M.A. Aziz.

The twin demand has caused a political stalemate and the opposition has announced it would continue its stir indefinitely.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led four-party alliance has said that it would launch a counter-agitation, its secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan announced, New Age newspaper said.

Elsewhere, 11 buses were damaged allegedly by the opposition activists, mostly garment workers. Witnesses said a group of unruly demonstrators attacked and damaged five buses with sticks at Savar bus stand while six at Shimultola.

(IANS)

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