Bangladesh-Poll-UN envoy
A special envoy of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan asked Bangladesh President Iajuddin Ahmed to take "effective steps" for restoring peace in Bangladesh as the main opposition alliance staged a protest demanding "depoliticization" of the administration.

"The UN envoy told the president that the United Nations was concerned at the street violence and that it did not want to see any conflict in the country," a presidential spokesman said after director of UN Electoral Assistance Division Craig Jenness called on Ahmed in Dhaka, Wednesday, a PTI report said.

Jenness asked the president to take "effective steps" for restoring peace in Bangladesh while Ahmed briefed him about steps he had initiated to stage fair and transparent polls in the country, the spokesman said.

Earlier chiefs of army, navy and air force met the President as the main opposition Awami League-led 14-party alliance enforced a six-hour sit in protest around the country's main secretariat complex in downtown Dhaka.

A government spokesman briefly said the president discussed issues related to law and order with the three armed forces chiefs.

Yesterday's protest prompted authorities to call out paramilitary Bangladesh Rifles troops and riot police who blocked traffic and pedestrian movement in the capital.

Rejecting the poll schedule setting January 21 as the day of voting, the 14-party alliance yesterday staged sit-in protests in capital Dhaka.

Tight security was also enforced around the Supreme Court complex where hearing of separate writ petitions of leaders of 14-party combine challenging the assumption of President Iajuddin Ahmed as the chief adviser of Bangladesh's interim non-party government was taking place.