Student clashes a first major test for Dhaka government

DHAKA (AFP) - Bangladesh's military-backed government, facing its first major challenge since taking office in January, on Wednesday imposed an indefinite curfew after violent student clashes that left one man dead.

The curfew was to be clamped on six cities including the capital Dhaka from late Wednesday, said Fahim Munaim, press secretary to the emergency government's leader Fakhruddin Ahmed.

"The government has declared a curfew in six divisional cities from 8:00 pm (1400 GMT) until further notice," Munaim said. All colleges and universities in the six cities would also be closed.

The six cities affected were Dhaka, northern Rajshahi and Sylhet, and southern Chittagong, Barisal and Khulna.

Bangladesh has been under a state of emergency since January, when the interim government took power following months of violence and political turmoil over vote-rigging allegations.

In a third straight day of violence on Wednesday, one bystander was killed and dozens of others suffered mostly minor injuries in a clash between rock-throwing youths and police in Rajshahi, a police official said.

Police in riot gear retaliated with tear gas.

Television channels also showed protesters armed with sticks and stones rampaging through parts of Dhaka and the southeastern city of Chittagong in defiance of a government ban on demonstrations.

The government appealed for calm, accusing troublemakers without any genuine grievances of hijacking the protests which began with demands by Dhaka University students for the army to withdraw from their campus.

The army camp was shut down early Wednesday but the decision failed to quell the sporadic clashes.

"If police cannot control the situation it will mean that this government does not have a support base and by implication martial law will be inevitable," said one analyst, speaking on condition of anonymity.

A Dhaka-based commentator who asked not to be named said it would be prudent for the government to impose martial law, but that splits within the military might prevent it doing so.

"It would be wise to stabilise the situation but the problem is that the generals are not decided. There are a lot of differences of opinion," he said.

Trouble first erupted on Monday on the Dhaka University campus after several students said they had been manhandled by soldiers during a football match, according to police chief Shahidul Islam.

The students demanded that soldiers be withdrawn from the campus, where a small contingent was stationed when the state of emergency was imposed in January.

The government said Wednesday it had launched an investigation into the incident.

The interim administration took control on January 12, a day after elections scheduled for later that month were cancelled.

The government has enjoyed broad popular support after nearly two decades of misrule by corrupt politicians although there has recently been rumbling discontent among the very poor about the rising prices of essentials.

It has pledged to implement far-reaching reforms to clean up Bangladesh's notoriously corrupt politics before holding fresh polls by late 2008.

• Email Story
• IM Story
• Printable View

RECOMMEND THIS STORY

Recommend It:

Not at All Somewhat Moderately Highly Very Highly

Average (Not Rated)

» Recommended Stories