Bangladeshi opposition leaders injured in clash with police

Several leaders of Bangladesh's main opposition political parties were among injured as they fought with police here Sunday when they started their planned march towards Election Commission (EC) to lay a siege to force the government to reform the caretaker government system and EC.

Police put barbed-wire barricade on the road to obstruct the planned march towards EC and the clash between police and the activists of the main opposition Awami League-led 14-party combine erupted when activists attempted to remove the barricade.

Police fired tear gas shells and used water canon and charged baton to disperse the demonstrators, injuring several leaders and many activists of the combine, including Awami League (AL) leader Abdur Razzak, private television channel Ntv reported Sunday.

According to Ntv, the clash between police and activists of the 14-party alliance lasted about two hours, during which about 200 leaders and workers of the alliance were injured.

The alliance has been demanding the reforms of the caretaker government system and remove two newly appointed election commissioners and the Chief Election Commissioner Justice M. A. Aziz, saying they were partial and any election under them would not be free and fair.

On Feb. 12, AL chief Sheikh Hasina put the reform proposals before the national parliament and Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, suggesting to form committee with leaders of both sides, but there was no constructive move to form committee to find out ways to reform.

Source: Xinhua