Normal life in Bangladesh disrupted amid violence

Normal life in the capital and much of Bangladesh was disrupted today as the main opposition BNP enforced a nationwide general strike to oppose the ruling coalition's policies, including "compromising national interests" by inking deals with India.

Hundreds of paramilitary troops and policemen today patrolled the streets in the capital following reports of violence as former premier Khaleda Zia-led opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party today enforced a country-wide dawn-to-dusk general strike.

The strike is part of the BNP's campaign against alleged misrule of the ruling Awami League party. It also accused the ruling coalition's of "compromising national interests" by inking deals with India earlier this year. It accused the government of suppressing the opposition.

According to reports, activists of BNP torched at least five vehicles last night, causing burns to two people, in an apparent attempt to create panic among the public to successfully enforce the strike against the Hasina-led government.

"Although no clear evidence has emerged that the opposition is involved in the typical pre-hartal violence, it would be widely perceived as BNP's bid to instill fear and panic towards a successful hartal," a private news agency BDNews24 reported.

The State-run BSS news agency reported that over 100 activists, including five senior BNP leaders were arrested from different areas of the city as the city witnessed clashes between the BNP cadres and the baton wielding police.

Witnesses said the activists tried to vandalize vehicles in Maghbazar area though most vehicles were off the road, schools and shopping malls remained closed across the country.

The five detained leaders were former mayor of Dhaka Mirza Abbas, former foreign secretary Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, Zia's advisers MA Mannan and Ahmed Azom Khan and Shaheed Uddin Chowdhury Anny MP.

BNP General Secretary Khondker Delwar Hossain said when people are spontaneously observing the shutdwon, the police cannot be used to frustrated it.

He said a BNP lawmaker was injured during a clash between pro- and anti-strike supporters at Dhaka University in the capital. He demanded the release of the detained party leaders and activists.

Authorities have deployed about 10,000 extra police personnel alongside the elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) troops to maintain order during the strike, Dhaka Police chief AKM Shahidul Haque said, adding that they would not prevent BNP from observing the strike but action would be taken if anyone tries to create anarchy.

The government earlier issued a strong note of warning against attempts to create "anarchy" during the shutdown, saying it had no plans to confront the pickets but no "disorder" would be tolerated during the protests.

Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the youth wing of the Awami League, has said it would thwart the dawn-to-dusk general strike of BNP, triggering fears of violent clashes.

On May 19, Zia called the shudown as part of her party's anti-government campaign, citing a number of reasons including "compromising national interests" by signing deals with India during prime minister Sheikh New Delhi visit in January.

Bangladesh and India signed three agreements to jointly combat the terror menace while New Delhi announced a one-billion dollar line of credit to Dhaka.

India decided to give 250MW of power to Bangladesh from the central grid while they signed a power-sharing agreement. Bangladesh also promised not to allow its territory to be used for terror against India.

The BNP also demanded the halt to Hasina's reign of "tender-grabbing and extortions by government cronies" and its "failures" in provide utility services.

"This hartal is a warning signal for the government... I am telling the people in power, you still have time to correct yourself," Zia said.

General strike and shutdown are common tactics used here by the opposition to put pressure on the government.

However, Bangladesh witnessed the last such shutdowns against "BNP plans for a rigged general election" in 2008, amid mounting political tensions resulting in enforcement of a state emergency for two years under an interim government.

An earlier UNDP report calculated that the net loss in one day's shutdown to around Taka 500 crore while it cost the country 3 to 4 percent of its GDP on an average every year between 1991 and 2000.