The Bangladeshi government declared curfew in the headquarters
of six divisions including capital Dhaka Wednesday as the violence
escalated in the country.
Students from Dhaka
University pull a barricade during a protest to demand the
withdrawal of security forces from the University campus in Dhaka.
Bangladesh's military-backed emergency government has agreed to
pull army personnel out of Dhaka University after violent clashes
with students demanding they leave, reports said on August 22,
2007.
The curfew will start from 8 PM on Wednesday and end with
further order.
Bangladesh military-backed government facing violent student
protests Wednesday cautioned stern actions against "rowdy and
anarchic acts" for restoration of normal life.
The violence which started on Monday night was led by a quarrel
between armymen and some students in Dhaka University playground
when watching a football match. The students held processions after
the armymen beat some students.
The violence was escalated in the last two days which left one
person killed and more than 400 others wounded in capital Dhaka and
major cities.
The protesters seeking withdrawal of the state of emergency
imposed on Jan. 11 fought pitched battles with police on university
and college campuses in Dhaka and other major cities across
Bangladesh.
The demonstrators damaged or burned down dozens of buses and
cars, ransacked police boxes and disrupted road communications by
staging sit-in on different highways.
A house of Education Advisor Dr. Ayub Qadri and business office
of Power and Energy Advisor Tapan Chowdhury of the caretaker
government came under attacks.
In view of the situation, the government appealed to all
concerned to maintain peace and discipline in public life and
refrain from disorderly acts, damaging property and disrupting
public life.
"If this unlawful act continues, the government will be
compelled to take stern action against the perpetrators for
bringing back normalcy and protecting life and property of the
citizens," an official handout said.
It said in accordance with the demand of Dhaka University
students, the army camp at the campus playground has already been
withdrawn and initiative has been taken to form a judicial inquiry
committee headed by a retired High Court judge to investigate the
untoward incidents.
Despite these measures, the handout said, a section of people
was engaged in causing damage to public and private property in
Dhaka and some other places of the country.
"It has been observed that non-students are taking part in these
rowdy and anarchic acts. These cannot be allowed to continue," it
cautioned.
Caretaker government Chief Advisor Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed called
an emergency meeting Wednesday afternoon to review the overall
situation and possible future actions to maintain order.
Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed was present in the meeting.
Earlier, thousands of college and university students joined a
general strike Wednesday demanding withdrawal of the state of
emergency.
A three-wheeler rickshaw puller in northern city of Rajshahi was
killed during fierce clashes between Rajshahi University students
and riot police.
This is the first major violence in the country since state of
emergency was declared by President Iajuddin Ahmed on Jan. 11.
(Xinhua News Agency August 23, 2007)
