Bangladesh braces for transport blockade

DHAKA, July 1 (Reuters) Authorities tightened security across Bangladesh today ahead of a planned countrywide transport blockade to press the government to accept opposition demands for electoral reforms.

A 14-party alliance led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, chief of the main opposition Awami League, called for a shutdown of all transport, including trains, buses and ferries, tomorrow, a working day in Muslim majority Bangladesh.

''We will enforce the blockade at all costs,'' said Awami general secretary Abdul Jalil.

Bangladesh is due to hold its next parliamentary election in January 2007.

But the opposition wants Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia to remove chief election commissioner M.A. Aziz immediately for his alleged pro-government bias, and a say in choosing a caretaker administration to supervise the polls.

Hasina says unless the two conditions are met, the election will not be free and fair, and votes will be ''stolen'' to ensure a win for Khaleda's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

The government denies the allegation.

Tomorrow some 10,000 extra police and paramilitary troops will be deployed in the capital Dhaka while additional forces would also move to other cities.

BNP leaders urged Bangladeshis not to respond to the blockade call, because it would ''not only stop the wheels but push the country towards anarchy.'' The opposition parties recently organised a series of strikes, road blockades and other programmes in Bangladesh, one of the world's poorest countries with 140 million population.

Rivalry between Hasina and Khaleda -- who ruled the country for 15 years by turn -- has been legendary. They have not talked for over a decade.

They would likely face each other again in the next election, which BNP hopes will hand Khaleda a third five-year term in power.

Hasina says BNP ''would be rejected outright'' by the people if voting is free.

REUTERS SHB HT1905