New violence in Bangladesh; Khaleda warns rivals

Dhaka, Oct 30: At least one person was killed and over 100 wounded in fresh political violence in Bangladesh today as the outgoing Prime Minister said she would deal sternly with the opposition if if continued demands for reforms.

President Iajuddin Ahmed, who has a largely ceremonial role as president, took additional charge as chief adviser of a caretaker authority yesterday to fill a political vacuum after Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia ended her five-year mandate.

At least 25 people were killed and hundreds wounded in rioting over the weekend after a former supreme court chief justice refused to take on the job as caretaker prime minister.

A man was killed in a southwestern town and about 120 people were wounded in fresh clashes between rival activists across the country today, raising the toll to 26 over the last four days, police said.

Speaking at a huge rally in the capital, Khaleda said she had had enough of the opposition's demands.

''The opposition will be dealt with a heavy hand if they try to disrupt the elections in the name of demands for electoral reforms,'' she said.

The ex-PM said she had tolerated many excess and acts of anarchy by Awami League during her five-year rule but ''no longer shall we treat them leniently.'' The president began meeting top political leaders, including opposition leader Sheikh Hasina. He is to soon appoint a panel of 10 advisers to help him ahead of the elections and take charge of key ministries.

Opposition leaders said Hasina had placed a set of demands before the president on behalf of a 14-party alliance she leads, including reforms at the election commission and pruning of the civil administration ahead of the election.

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

''We cannot welcome him in his new role immediately,'' Hasina said of Iajuddin. ''We will closely watch his actions to see if he is acceptable.''

INTERVENED

The president intervened after former Supreme Court chief justice K M Hasan declined to head the caretaker government in the face of violent opposition. He was to take over when Khaleda's five-year term ended on Saturday.

Bangladesh introduced the caretaker system in 1991 after military president Hossain Mohammad Ershad was toppled through a people's uprising led jointly by Khaleda and Hasina, who have however remained implacable foes since then.

The system, designed to prevent ruling parties from rigging polls, has worked generally well in three elections. But the Awami League now wants the system to be reformed to make it more efficient and reliable. The BNP is reluctant.

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

Awami League activists marched through Dhaka streets demanding immediate removal of the chief election commissioner and updating the voters' list ahead of the election.

Khaleda'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.

In an televised address to the nation yesterday, 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.'' 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, from 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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