More than 40 people were injured as street clashes broke out between riot police and protesters in Bangladesh capital Dhaka on Thursday during a day-long strike enforced by the opposition parties, officials said.
Police fired rubber bullets and teargas shells to foil a political rally in front of the central office of the Awami League, which is leading an alliance of 14 Opposition groups against the Nationalist-Islamist coalition government of Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.
Isolated clashes triggered by stone-throwing protesters forced the closure of shops and other businesses while transportation was partially crippled by the strike, which also hampered train services, ports and factories.
Late monsoon rains added to the misery of thousands of residents in the capital city.
The shutdown was called by the Opposition as part of a continuing campaign of building pressure on the ruling coalition to implement electoral reforms, which are expected to render the upcoming national polls transparent and credible.
The Opposition has threatened to boycott the parliamentary elections slated for January 2007 if the reforms are not accepted ahead off the polls.
{{/usCountry}}The Opposition has threatened to boycott the parliamentary elections slated for January 2007 if the reforms are not accepted ahead off the polls.
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