Bangladesh three leaders of the main opposition party arrested
Dhaka (AsiaNews) - Police in Bangladesh have
arrested three leaders of the Bangladesh National Party ( BNP) , the main opposition
party led by former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia. Moudud
Ahmed , MK Anwar and Rafiqul Islam Mia are accused of inciting violence . Their trial opened this
morning in Dhaka. The
authorities have justified their arrests as an attempt to end the climate of
tension in view of the elections in 2014. Tomorrow
the BNP will lead a national strike for 72 hours ( hartal ) to push the Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina (Bangladesh Awami League ) to resign and form an interim
government to prepare the country ahead of the General election (January 2014).
After
the arrest of the three leaders, several opposition supporters organized
demonstrations in neighborhoods of the capital and other cities. At least seven vehicles were set on fire and there
were a series of clashes with police.
The
general strikes or hartal organized against the government often result in
violence against innocent people and block major cities in the country for days.
On
4 November in Dhaka, some protesters set fire to Monir, a young 14 year old,
who died yesterday at the Dhaka Medical College after days of agony.
Because
of the strike called by the pro- Islamic opposition authorities have
interrupted their annual school examinations for the Junior School Cerificate ( JSC ) and Junior Dakhil Certificate ( Jdc ) . The
exams had been postponed from mid-October after another hartal , preventing
nearly 2 million students from taking the exams.
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