BANGLADESH: Bangladesh lifts curfew temporarily to enable residents to purchase supplies

Bangladesh's army-backed interim government relaxed a curfew on Friday (August 24) imposed two days earlier after violent street protests subsided, allowing people to attend prayers and stock up on essentials. The curfew -- which was to last till Friday night -- has been relaxed in the capital Dhaka and five other cities from 8 a.m. (0200 GMT) to 10 p.m. (1600 GMT), the government said in a statement. The streets of Dhaka were bustling with vehicles and stranded residents could finally get back home. Hundreds poured out into the markets to purchase essentials. "We are facing so many problems--I have come here for shopping after two days because of the curfew imposed. And we see that the prices of things are soaring high, so we are really in trouble," said Praveen Akhtar, a resident of Dhaka. The curfew was imposed on Wednesday (August 22), after a student-led protest against the presence of troops at a football match at the Dhaka University campus on Monday turned violent and spread across the country. Traffic poured back on to the streets soon after the easing of the curfew was announced on state and private television channels, which the government had earlier asked not to broadcast any news footage that might incite further violence. The curfew had shut down public transport, schools, banks, clinics and pharmacies in the affected cities. One man was killed and nearly 300 were injured in clashes with security forces in Dhaka and other cities before the curfew was declared.

ITN Source | August 24, 2007

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