More bloodshed in Bangladesh: 8 dead and 300 injured in clashes with police
Dhaka (AsiaNews) - Political violence in Bangladesh shows no sign of abating: the latest clashes between police and supporters of the government and opposition have claimed at least eight lives and left 300 injured . As has been the case for months now , the riots degenerated during a 48-hour hartal (strike) launched yesterday by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP, in opposition) , with the support of Jamat -e-Islami ( Islamic fundamentalist party ) . The aim of the protest was again to convince the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to form a caretaker government ahead of general elections.
The victims are mostly supporters of the BNP and Jamaat . One of the dead belongs to the Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB). At least 50 cars were burned, while some protesters hurled Molotov cocktails and homemade bombs . Many civilians were burned. Yesterday, three hours before the beginning of the hartal , opposition activists set fire to the Ishwardi railway Sirajganj Express . Others have removed the sleepers on a line of Mymensingh , causing the derailment of a train. At the moment, the entire transport system is gridlocked.
In addition to sabotage, in
various parts of the country there were heavy clashes between supporters of the
Awami League (in government) and the BNP - Jamaat (opposition). To
quell the riots , the police opened fire on protesters .
Other
protesters set fire to their identity papers and some furnishings office of the
Electoral Commission of Bogra . Meanwhile,
today six important members of civil society met with the President of
Bangladesh, Abdul Hamid, to express their concern at the continuing violence ,
asking him to take an informal role to resolve the situation .
Pending
the outcome of this another hartal , the "real" victims are ordinary
citizens who cannot leave their homes to travel to work, with all activities at
a standstill and the prices of basic goods rising exponentially .
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