DHAKA, 13 November 2006 — Bangladeshi authorities have decided to deploy troops to help maintain order after protesters demanding the removal of controversial election officials paralyzed most of the country yesterday with a transport blockade.
The Home Ministry issued a note to district administrations stating: “The government has decided to deploy the army to assist civil administration in the wake of the current law and order situation in the country.” Officials in a district southeast of Dhaka confirmed receipt of the note to Reuters.
President Iajuddin Ahmed met army commanders in Dhaka last week as a 14-party alliance led by Awami League chief Hasina Wajed announced plans to paralyze the country through transport blockades and other protests from Nov. 12 unless the president removed Chief Election Commissioner M.A. Aziz and his deputies before then. Elections are due in January 2007.
In the capital, Dhaka, thousands of activists protested but the streets were otherwise deserted, with many schools and offices closed, police and witnesses said.
At least 15,000 police and paramilitaries were deployed, although there were no reports of any major violence.
Protesters attacked buses and trains across the country and shut seaports, police and witnesses said.
The indefinite shutdown was part of a stepped up campaign by the Awami League-led alliance to force removal of controversial election officials ahead of polls in January.
Activists set fire to at least five train carriages and a bus on the outskirts of the capital where hundreds had gathered despite an indefinite ban on rallies and demonstrations. Vehicles were also torched or stoned in several districts in the east and north of the country.
A Dhaka bus driver was taken to hospital with head injuries after his vehicle was pelted with stones, a witness said.
Police said the situation across the country was largely under control, despite the sporadic violence.
The blockade follows expiry of a deadline Awami League leader Hasina Wajed had set the interim government to remove Chief Election Commissioner M.A. Aziz and his deputies for their alleged bias toward the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of Khaleda Zia, whose term as prime minister ended last month.
“We have instructed our followers to paralyze the country ... including ports, buses, trains and ferries,” Awami League General Secretary Abdul Jalil told reporters.
The BNP denies the allegation of bias, accusing the Awami League of trying to push the country into anarchy and sabotage the polls. Protesters yesterday also burned effigies of Aziz. The Awami League said the blockade had been a success and vowed to continue it in a peaceful manner until the interim administration led by President Iajuddin fired the election officials. Iajuddin has made no public comment on the demand and Aziz himself has rejected calls to step down.
The protests came as US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher wound up a trip to the country holding talks with Iajuddin.
Boucher told reporters the Election Commission was a constitutional authority but must win the trust of the people.
“The decisions should be credible to the voters,” he said adding that the US fully supported the election process. Boucher said the caretaker government and the Election Commission must respect their neutral roles under the Constitution and hold free and fair polls without any outside influence. On Saturday he urged political parties to give up the path of confrontation.
Meanwhile, Japan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mitoji Yabukana, who came to Dhaka Saturday night from Laos on his way to Tokyo, said Japan would send observers to join the international team to monitor the coming elections.
He hoped that the current political developments in the country would ensure free and fair polls.
