E-Paper
Ten injured as police, protestors clash in Bangladesh
A former Member of Parliament was also hurt as the Opposition tried to lay a seige at the Election Commission office in Dhaka.
At least 10 people, including a former Member of Parliament, were on Wednesday injured in clashes between protestors and policemen in Bangladesh as the opposition Awami League-led alliance tried to lay a seige at the Election Commission office here.
Clashes erupted at Russel Square adjacent to Dhaka's upmarket Dhanmandi area after demonstrators tried to break through a barbed wire police barricade, eye witnesses said.
Police initially used batons, but then started to fire tear gas shells to ward off the stone-throwing protestors, they said adding the pitched battle continued as a three-hour plan to seige the Commission ended, injuring at least 10 people, including former Awami League MP Haji Selim.
Another group of Alliance activists peacefully ended its action at Agargaon point, while the Jatiya Jukto Front, a newly-created alliance of three parties led by former Bangladesh President Badruddoza Chowdhury's Bikalpa Dhaka, also staged protest at Maghbazar point.
The action caused major traffic chaos in capital Dhaka, where fuel was running short due to a strike by lorry owners.
More than 6,000 policemen were deployed to face the opposition action.
The opposition plans to march to Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's office next week before a grand rally in Dhaka later on.
The opposition, threatening a boycott of the next general elections, is demanding electoral reforms to ensure free and fair voting.
At least 10 people, including a former Member of Parliament, were today injured in clashes between protestors and policemen in Bangladesh as the opposition Awami League-led alliance tried to lay a siege at the Election Commission office here.
Clashes erupted at Russel Square adjacent to Dhaka's upmarket Dhanmandi area after demonstrators tried to break through a barbed wire police barricade, eyewitnesses said.
Police initially used batons, but then started to fire tear gas shells to ward off the stone-throwing protestors, they said adding the pitched battle continued as a three-hour plan to siege the Commission ended, injuring at least 10 people, including former Awami League MP Haji Selim.
Another group of Alliance activists peacefully ended its action at Agargaon point, while the Jatiya Jukto Front, a newly-created alliance of three parties led by former Bangladesh President Badruddoza Chowdhury's Bikalpa Dhaka, also staged protest at Maghbazar point.
The action caused major traffic chaos in capital Dhaka, where fuel was running short due to a strike by lorry owners.
More than 6,000 policemen were deployed to face the opposition action.
The opposition plans to march to Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's office next week before a grand rally in Dhaka later on.
The opposition, threatening a boycott of the next general elections, is demanding electoral reforms to ensure free and fair voting.
