Bangladesh caretaker chief quits ahead of poll -agency

DHAKA, Jan 11 (Reuters) Bangladesh's president has resigned as head of the caretaker government, the official BSS news agency said late today after weeks of violence and accusations he was incapable of ensuring free and fair polls on January 22.

The announcement of Iajuddin Ahmed's resignation came hours after the declaration of a state of emergency and daily night-time curfew in the hope of curbing growing unrest led by an alliance of parties that had boycotted the poll.

BSS said Ahmed appointed his senior adviser Fazlul Haque as acting chief of the caretaker authority.

''The president has declared a state of emergency and a curfew has been clamped daily from 2300 hrs to 0500 hrs'' state television announced.

Earlier today, the interim caretaker government stood by a pledge to hold the elections on January 22 despite the boycott by the alliance headed by former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

The alliance has consistently said the ballot would not be free and impartial and accused Iajuddin of favouring the immediate past prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia, who stepped down in October at the end of her five-year term.

At least 45 people have been killed and hundreds injured in pre-election violence and police say they fear far worse to come ahead of polls that look increasingly untenable.

REACTIONS MIXED The last state of emergency was declared in early 1975 by then president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to tackle leftist militancy in western Bangladesh.

''It (1975 emergency) saw some success and now it is also supposed to restore order, at least temporarily,'' defence analyst retired Brigadier-General Shakawat Hossain told Reuters.

Under a state of emergency, people are forbidden to criticise the government and its activities. Protests and marches are also banned, and even printing and broadcasting critical political news, photographs and cartoons, information ministry officials said.

Reactions were mixed to the latest emergency in Bangladesh, a mainly Muslim country of 140 million people.

Some people saw it as an obvious step in the current crisis and others said it was more welcome than a military takeover.

''What else could they (the government) could think of as a way to save the country from increasing disorder?'' said Abdur Razzak, a government official.

''The country deserved some more effort by all parties to settle their disputes politically, rather than paving way for a state of emergency,'' said Tafazzal Hossain, a businessman.

More than 200 people were injured in clashes with police during a three-day nationwide transport blockade earlier this week called by Hasina try to scuttle the poll she believes is designed to favour her old enemy, Khaleda.

The violence has prompted the interim administration to call in the army to try to keep the peace but Hasina has continued to press for more strikes and blockades.

The United Nations said today it had suspended all technical support for the elections, while the European Commission said it had also decided to suspend its poll observation mission.

REUTERS BDP BD2351