BANGLADESH: Capital Dhaka deserted after violent protests

Fresh uncertainty shrouded Bangladesh's turbulent political scene on Saturday (October 28) after a presidential spokesman said the man chosen to act as interim head of government was too ill to take the oath of office. The capital Dhaka appeared largely deserted on Saturday with very few vehicles moving under the watchful eyes of massed riot police and paramilitary troops. The city's popular transport rickshaws were mostly off, too. Hundreds of travellers who were unable to reach the city on Friday because of the violence slowly made their way into the city on foot. "I have come from Barisal (southern district) by ferry. But upon arrival, I have not been able to get a vehicle, so I have to walk," said Maitur Rahman, a city resident. Former Supreme Court chief justice K.M. Hasan was due to be sworn in as caretaker leader on Saturday, taking over from Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, whose five-year mandate ended on Friday (October 27). A general election is due in January. The stage had been set for Hasan to step in despite vociferous opposition charges that he was biased in favour of the government and thus unsuitable to organise the elections. However, a presidential spokesman said late on Friday that Hasan was ill and unable to take the oath on Saturday. "A time for the swearing-in ceremony has yet to be set, but we are ready," said the spokesman. He did not explain the nature of Hasan's illness. A 14-party opposition alliance led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina strongly opposes Khaleda's plan to install Hasan as interim administrator, citing his past association with the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The alliance vowed to paralyse the country from Saturday if the government went ahead with the plan, and urged President Iajuddin Ahmed not to swear Hasan in to avert a more serious political crisis. The opposition also called on Hasan to refuse the post. "We read in the newspaper that K.M.Hasan is not going to be the chief of the caretaker government. if it is so, I appreciate his decision and the nation will remember him as a great man always," said Alauddin Ahmed, leader of the Awami league. Hasan's sudden illness, which newspapers on Saturday said could indicate his unwillingness to accept the job, has added to the political uncertainty. Opposition leaders said they would not ease pressure until the "caretaker drama" was over. Street battles broke out between rival political activists on Friday evening after Prime Minister Khaleda finished her farewell address on state television, when she called for peace once she steps down on Saturday. Protesters blocked highways, burned vehicles, attacked offices of the BNP and the homes of some ministers on Friday, police and witnesses said. At least six people were killed and more than 200 injured in the mayhem that continued past midnight.

ITN Source | October 28, 2006

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