Four Bangladesh advisers quit over army deployment

DHAKA, Dec 11 (Reuters) Four advisers of Bangladesh's interim government resigned today following differences over the deployment of armed forces in the run-up to January elections, officials said.

President Iajuddin Ahmed ordered the deployment of the armed forces on Saturday following weeks of political violence that killed at least 44 people and injured hundreds.

Ministry officials said the advisers had sent resignation letters to the president. The four were former army chief Hasan Mashhud Chowdhury, ex-top bureaucrat Akbar Ali Khan, former foreign secretary C M Shafi Sami and Sultana Kamal, a lawyer.

REUTERS SP DS1217