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Violent protests in Dhaka against power cuts
Web posted at: 9/29/2006 9:10:56
Source ::: AFP

DHAKA • Police fired tear gas and fought running battles with thousands of protesters yesterday as Bangladesh reeled under the strain of massive power cuts, officials and witnesses said.

In the capital Dhaka, police in riot gear used batons to disperse demonstrators after they torched cars and ransacked an office as anger boiled over at the escalating number of power outages. Officers said riots were triggered when people broke their Ramadan fast on Wednesday evening only to find that there was again no electricity.

“People came out on the street to protest against the power cuts. They were angry and the police had to fire tear gas and baton charge them to disperse them,” police officer Mahmudul Hasan said.

The clashes began in the north-west outskirts of Dhaka late Wednesday and continued into yesterday morning. “The angry mob threw bricks and stones. Police used more than 100 rounds of tear gas,” said another police officer, Mahbub Alam.

Rapid economic growth in Bangladesh, spurred by the government to alleviate widespread poverty, has led to huge electricity shortages, including cuts of up to six hours a day in the capital. The World Bank in July estimated that Bangladesh needed $10bn in investment over the next 10 years to fix average daily power shortfalls of 700 to 800 megawatts.

In eastern Dhaka, protesters used burning logs to blockade the main highway connecting the capital with the south-east port city of Chittagong. “Thousands of people put timber logs on (the) road. There is complete anarchy there and the police cannot even get there to tackle the situation,” said police officer Mohammad Gaffar.

In the north-east city of Sylhet, hundreds of people besieged electricity offices late Wednesday causing traffic grid lock, said district police intelligence officer Shahjahan Mia. “People became emotional because after fasting all day, they did not get electricity in the evening,” he said.

 
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