B'desh oppn demands proof president neutral

Dhaka, Oct 30: Bangladesh President Iajuddin Ahmed must prove himself to be neutral before he can be accepted as government caretaker to steer the country through elections in January, opposition parties said today.

Iajuddin, who has a largely ceremonial role as president, took over the additional responsibilities yesterday when he was sworn in as Chief Adviser of the caretaker authority.

He will appoint a panel of 10 advisers to help him ahead of the elections and take charge of the key ministries.

The opposition wants the president to remove Chief Election Commissioner M A Aziz and his deputies, accusing them of being biased towards the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

''We cannot welcome him in his new role immediately,'' Awami chief Sheikh Hasina said. ''We will closely watch his actions to see if he is acceptable.'' The president intervened after former Supreme Court chief justice K.M. Hasan changed his mind on Saturday in the face of violent opposition about being the caretaker when Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia's five-year term ended on Saturday.

Hasan's appointment triggered political violence that killed 25 and wounded hundreds across the impoverished country of 140 million over the weekend.

Today, opposition activists continued to blockade highways linking capital Dhaka with the rest of the country. Some vehicles returned on the streets of Dhaka but most officices and businesses were still closed.

Outgoing Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party said its supporters would take to the streets now ''in full force'' to counter Awami-led protesters.

''We have been pushed to the end of our patience. Now we will act tit-for-tat in case anyone tries to take us on,'' Khaleda's elder son and BNP joint secretary-general Tareque Rahman said late yesterday.

Khaleda herself will address a rally in the capital today afternoon, where she might announce her next plans, party officials said.

In an televised address to the nation on Sunday, Iajuddin said he believed ''the new caretaker administration will be able to hold a free and fair election within the stipulated time''.

''I call upon all officials of the republic to act neutrally and help uphold independence and democracy.'' Iajuddin was appointed a non-executive president in 2002, after former president A Q M Badruddoza Chowdhury resigned over differences with Khaleda.

Political analysts say it is too early to judge whether he would be able to satisfy the opposition and become a symbol of national unity and trust.

Debapriyo Bhattacharya, a leading economic and political think-tank, said the Awami League should try to cooperate with the president to help him ensure a credible election.

''It is time for looking forward ... The main concern now is how to hold a free and impartial election,'' he said.

''Opposition, too, has a role in building mutual trust.''

Reuters

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