Bangladesh police use tear gas to break up anti-government rally

Dhaka, 13 March (AKI) - At least 50 people have been injured as the police fired tear gas to break-up a rally of opposition activists in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka on Monday. Reports say that hundreds of stone-throwing demonstrators clashed with the police as they marched in the capital during a general strike to protest price hikes in essential goods. The police detained at least 40 people, most of whom were members of the opposition Awami League, which is a led by former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

The one-day strike was called by the youth wing of the Awami League to protest against the price rise in commodities and the short supply of electricity. Other reports say that the rally was also organised to protest the death of one of the members of Awami League who was killed after he was arrested on extortion charges by security forces.

The alliance of opposition parties in Bangladesh have been running a campaign for several months calling for the resignation of the government of prime minister Khaleda Zia on the grounds that it had failed to fight Islamic extremism and control the rising prices of essential items.

General elections are due in Bangladesh in January 2007.