Police clash with protesters in Bangladesh capital
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2006
Dozens of people were injured in the clashes in Dhaka's Bangla Motor and Mahakhali districts blocks away from the prime minister's office, according to Associated Press reporters at the scenes.
The violence erupted as more than 6,000 stone-throwing opposition activists tried to overrun barbed-wire barricades in a bid to march into Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's well-guarded office in central Dhaka.
At least three home-made bombs — tin pots filled with explosives — went off at Mahakhali before police fired tear gas shells, said a reporter at the scene.
Security officers declined to comment on the violence.
Authorities deployed 10,000 police around the prime minister's office after an alliance of 14 opposition parties vowed to defy a ban on demonstrations and march into the building to press for electoral reforms.
The security forces manned barbed-wire barricades erected to prevent the protesters from going anywhere close to their target.
Streets in the area were closed to public vehicles, causing huge traffic snarls in the city of 10 million people.
"This fascist government is using police to attack peaceful demonstrators," opposition spokesman Tofail Ahmed said. "What we have been demanding is good for democracy."
Police imposed a ban on rallies and marches around Zia's office in the capital after the opposition alliance announced plans for Tuesday's protest.
Zia was scheduled to visit the southeastern port city of Chittagong on Tuesday, her office said.
The opposition alliance, led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, wants to change the election commission, which it says is biased toward Zia's ruling Bangladesh National Party. Both the government and the chief election commissioner deny the allegation.
The opposition also wants to have a say in appointing the head of a caretaker administration to supervise the next national elections, due in January.
The opposition has been staging a series of general strikes and street protests — which turned violent on occasion — to force the government to accept its demands.
Under Bangladesh's constitution, Zia is to hand over power to a caretaker administration when her five-year term expires on Oct. 28 for holding fresh polls within 90 days.
