Sheikh Hasina asks Khaleda Zia to come down to streets

As the faceoff in Bangaldesh between the two feuding begums intensified, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked opposition leader and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Khaleda Zia to "come down to the streets" for carrying on her agitation. "If you want to carry on your movement, come down to the field," bdnews24.com quoted Hasina as saying Thursday.

The prime minister's remarks were directed to the large-scale violence in the country during the opposition's nationwide blockade against the ruling Awami League government's plans to hold the parliament election Jan 5. "For your agitation, children are being turned into criminals," Hasina said. "The election will be held on schedule and the people will take part in it," she added.

Meanwhle, the BNP has blamed the government for carrying out an arson attack on a bus in the capital Thursday, a media report said.

At least 19 people were injured when Molotov cocktails were hurled at a moving bus in Dhaka's Shahbagh area on the third day of the opposition-led nationwide blockade against the ruling Awami League government's plans to hold the parliament election.

One of them died at the Dhaka Medical College and Hospital.