Dhaka strike 8212; Clashes break out, one dead

Two cops were injured in crude-bomb blasts in Dhaka8217;s Dholaikhal area, police said. Police fired tear gas and resorted to baton-charge to disperse a mob in Shahid Farooq Saraq area in Dhaka in which four persons sustained injuries.

The strikers set afire two cycle-rickshaws, damaged several others for plying despite the strike call and clashed with police in the Capital. The strike, the second such action in a week was intended to force Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and call early Parliamentary elections. A four-party alliance led by Bangla Nationalist Party BNP which hadoriginally called a 42-hour strike programme from Sunday had reduced it by 24 hours.

Thousands of riot police were deployed in cities for the strike. Shops, schools and businesses were shut, while commuters had to travel by rickshaws with public transport badly hit by the stoppage.

Sunday is a working day in the predominantly Muslim country and the strike came after a two Government holidays on Friday and Saturday. Security was tightened in several areas to prevent disruption of Kali Puja and Deepawali festivals being celebrated by minority Hindus in different parts of the country on Sunday.

The Opposition had reduced the duration of the strike on Sunday in response to a request from Hindus to allow them to hold their functions in the evening. Sunday8217;s was the fifth strike called by former premier Khaleda Zia8217;s BNP and its allies to pressure the Government. The Opposition called the strike also in protest against cancellation of Government holiday on Sunday to mark Zia-Ur-Rehman8217;s accession to power onthis day in 1975.