Bangladesh

Political rallies banned again, following violence

Article published on the 2008-11-12 Latest update 2008-11-12 13:06 TU

Police clash with protesters in Dhaka.
(Photo: Reuters)

Bangladesh’s military-backed interim government has reinstated a ban on political demonstrations after a violent rally in the capital on Tuesday which followed the arrest of an Islamic party leader.

Riot police clashed with an estimated 3,000 supporters of the Islamic Jamaat-e-Islami party after their leader, Motiur Rahman Nizami, was arrested on corruption charges on Monday.

The new ban on demonstrations will last two weeks, the police said, adding that it would be lifted before the elections to be held on 16 December.

The previous ban on political gatherings lasted two years. It was lifted nine days ago under pressure from political parties, as part of a relaxing of the two-year state of emergency in anticipation of December’s elections.

The country’s four-party alliance of Islamic parties and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party said it would hold demonstrations on Wednesday to protest the detention of three of its leaders.

It claims that the arrests are an attempt to keep it from participating in elections.