Bangladesh was paralyzed by 36-hour nonstop countrywide shutdown
called by the country's opposition pressing the government for
reforms of electoral system and the Election Commission (EC) for
holding a clean general election due next year.
Supporters of the 14-party combine led by main opposition Awami
League (AL) clashed with police in some places of the country's
capital Dhaka and elsewhere, the strike Tuesday by and large was
peaceful as there was no major disturbances reported yet from
anywhere in the country.
Schools, colleges, private offices, shopping centers except
kitchen markets were shut. Share markets both in Dhaka and
Chittagong were closed. Banks were open but there were not
transactions.
The government posted around 10,000 police and para-military
border troops in the capital to maintain peace.
All long distance bus services and state-run Bangladesh Road
Transport Corporation buses stayed indoor. Only a few private buses
were in the streets. The government offices worked with thin
attendance.
Bangladesh's major seaport in southeastern Chittagong did not
operate. Loading and unloading were closed, as there was no traffic
movement. Business leaders claim a day's shutdown cost the country
US$60 million of economic and production losses.
The 14-party combine has demanded reform in the caretaker
government system, which supervises the country's general
elections.
The opposition parties said the man, who supposed to head the
non-partisan caretaker government, is a ruling party Bangladesh
Nationalist Party supporter and the Election Commission is also run
by the BNP men. As such no election under them would be free and
fair.
They said unless there are reforms they will not go to the polls
in January next year and will not allow the government to hold the
election. The ruling party BNP leaders are also inviting the
opposition to sit around table and discuss the reforms. But the
opposition leaders said they cannot sit with the government
committee, which includes a member of Jamaat-e-Islami party, a key
partner of the four-party alliance government.
The opposition leaders alleged Jamaat cooperated with the
Pakistani occupation forces during the country's liberation war
in1971.
Tuesday's 36-hour general strike starting at 6 am in the morning
followed a violent protest on Sunday under the Dhaka Siegeprogram,
which turned the situation in the capital and nearby areas almost a
war field as police and paramilitary border guards fought with
thousands of workers and leaders of the 14-party combine.
(Xinhua News Agency June 14, 2006)
