Bangladesh gripped by opposition strike (fwd)

[Chegitz Guevara <mluziett@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Marc, "the Chegitz," Luzietti
personal homepage: http://shrike.depaul.edu/~mluziett
political homepage: http://shrike.depaul.edu/~mluziett/chegitz.html

"I just saved your fucking life Mom," YT said, "the least you could is to
offer me an Oreo."

Neal Stephenson's, "Snow Crash."

    By Anis Ahmed
    DHAKA, Jan 17 (Reuter) - Bangladesh was virtually paralysed
on Wednesday at the start of a day-long strike called by
opposition parties in their latest effort to force elections
under a neutral authority.
    Witnesses said there was no transport on the streets except
rickshaws. Most trains and ferries were idle and airport
officials said flights would be delayed or cancelled.
    Police said the first hours of the stoppage, which began at
6 a.m. (0000 GMT), were peaceful. A few home-made bombs exploded
in Dhaka but no one was hurt, they said.
    Main opposition parties, including the Awami League led by
Sheikh Hasina, organised the strike to try to thwart the filing
of applications by candidates of the ruling Bangladesh
Nationalist Party (BNP) for a general election scheduled for
February 15.
    Wednesday was the last day to register for the election,
which the opposition has threatened to boycott unless Prime
Minister Begum Khaleda Zia resigns and hands power to a neutral
successor to supervise the vote.
    The opposition accuses Khaleda's government of rigging a
1994 by-election and says no poll under her would be fair.
Khaleda has rejected the opposition charges and demands.
    BNP sources said their candidates already had submitted
their applications to election officials.
    Opposition parties have called for a siege of election
offices on Thursday when the applications will be reviewed.
    Election Commission sources said the registration deadline
could be extended if there were indications major opposition
parties would join the race. But they said the voting date of
February 15 would remain unchanged.
    There was hope for a resolution to Bangladesh's long-running
political crisis after six foreign diplomats -- including U.S.
Ambassador David Merrill, British High Commissioner Peter Fowler
and Canadian High Commissioner John Scott -- met Hasina and
Khaleda on Tuesday night.
    The diplomats declined to answer reporters' questions but
political sources said they might continue their mission on
Thursday.
    Zillur Rahman, general secretary of the Awami League, told
newspapers late on Tuesday the diplomats discussed ways to hold
a meaningful election with participation of all parties.
    The crisis began in March 1994 when opposition legislators
walked out of parliament in protest against what they saw as
insulting remarks by then information minister Nazmul Huda.
 ^REUTER@
Reut22:59 01-16-96

Reuter N:Copyright 1996, Reuters News Service


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