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Bangladesh paralysed by another strike

DHAKA: Bangladesh was paralysed by another opposition-led general strike on Monday, bringing ports, communications and businesses to a standstill.

The six-hour strike was called by a four-party opposition alliance to prevent voting in a mayoral election in the southeastern port city of Chittagong, where more than 100 people have been injured in election-related violence in the past week.

"Cargo handling was disrupted and there was no delivery from the port," port official Ahsanul Kabir.

But polling officer Shamsul Islam told Reuters the vote was going ahead without disruption, although early turnout was thin. "We expect the voters will come in bigger numbers after midday," he said.

Police said at least 10,000 police and paramilitary troops were patrolling Chittagong's city streets to ensure smooth voting.

The opposition alliance, led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party of former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia, is demanding that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina step down immediately and call early national elections under a caretaker government.

The opposition, which has enforced more than 50 strikes since Hasina took power in 1996, says free elections are not possible under her administration. Polls are not due to be held until the middle of 2001.

The government has declared a holiday in Chittagong to enable people to vote.

In Dhaka, only buses and pedal rickshaws could be seen on the streets. Transport operators said long-distance buses and lorries were not running.-Reuters