Bangladesh opposition to defy court ban on Dhaka Siege

Dhaka, June 10 (UNI) Bangladesh's opposition parties will go ahead with their eight-hour ''Dhaka Siege'' tomorrow, defying a court order, to press for their demand for the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner and two other Election Commissioners for their partisan role.

Opposition leader Sheikh Hasina's Awami League-led 14 opposition parties will enforce the eight-hour siege from 9 am (local time).

They are calling for resignation of Chief election Commissioner Justice MA Aziz and two other election commissioners.

A special bench of the High Court today imposed a ban on the opposition programme following a writ petition and asked the Home Affairs Secretary and the Inspector General of Police to ensure peaceful atmosphere in the capital.

But the opposition have decided to go ahead with the Dhaka Siege.

''We don't know about the High Court order. Our programme will remain unchanged,'' Awami League general secretary Abdul Jalil MP told reporters.

Opposition sources earlier threatened to go on a non-stop agitation including hartal from June 12 if the government did not accept their demands. They alleged that the police rounded up several thousand opposition workers from across the country to foil the programme.

A senior police official said some 8,000 policemen would be deployed in and around the capital in the wake of the opposition's porgramme.

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