Antigovernment strike paralyzes Bangladesh

Antigovernment strike paralyzes Bangladesh

DHAKA (AP): Business leaders urged the country's politicians
to talk to each other on Wednesday as a general strike meant to
force the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina crippled
Bangladesh cities and towns for the third consecutive day.

At least five people were killed and more than 200 hurt in
clashes on Monday and Tuesday.

No violence was reported on Wednesday as dozens of protesters
returned to the Dhaka streets, shouting slogans such as, "Set
fire to the throne of Hasina." Scores of the prime minister's
supporters marched and chanted slogans against the strike.

At least 6,000 security forces were on duty in Dhaka, a city
of nine million people.

The shutdown, the second this month, was to end at dawn on
Thursday. But the four-party opposition alliance is likely to
stage similar strikes next week, according to local press
reports.

"We urge our political parties to sit across the table to end
the crippling crisis," Yusouf Abdullah Haroon, president of the
Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said
in a statement.

The country lose an estimated $68 million for each strike day.
"The strike is scaring off foreign investors as well," Haroon
said.

Kutubuddin Ahmed, head of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers
and Exporters Association, asked the opposition to halt the
strike. He said Bangladeshi garment exporters are losing foreign
buyers because of disruptions in shipment.

"Our politicians should put the national interests above
everything else," Ahmed said.

The opposition has refused to hold any dialogue with Hasina's
government and demands that it resign immediately to pave the way
for new general elections.

It accuses the government of corruption, incompetence and
harassment of political opponents. Hasina denies the charges and
vows to stay in power until her five-year term ends on July 13.

Supporters and opponents of the strike have fought each other
with guns and homemade bombs in the capital, Dhaka, Chittagong,
Munshiganj, Feni, Bogra and Barisal districts.

The four deaths were caused by bombs -- small cans filled with
explosives -- hurled by protesters.

On Tuesday, protesters uprooted railroad tracks in Chittagong
to the southeast and Rajshahi to the northwest, officials said.
The tracks were repaired within a few hours.

In the southern town of Barisal, government supporters set
fire to the house of an opposition lawmaker, Mujibur Rahman
Sarwar, on Tuesday. No one was injured.

Police detained nearly 100 protesters in Dhaka, Chittagong,
Munshiganj and Bogra on rioting charges. Schools and stores
closed and most traffic halted in the capital and 60 other cities
and towns.

Such strikes are usually ignored in villages, where 80 percent
of the nation's 130 million people live. The opposition alliance
is headed by Khaleda Zia, a former prime minister and leader of
the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

Hasina had offered to resign in June and have a caretaker
government hold elections, but withdrew the offer when the
opposition continued to call strikes, demanding she resign even
earlier.