International
Ex-Ministers hurt in police action
By Haroon Habib
DHAKA, JAN. 9. Several former ministers of the Sheikh Hasina government were beaten up by the police during a country-wide hartal enforced by the Awami League in Bangladesh today. The injured leaders, who tried to lead a procession in the capital in support of the hartal included the former Agriculture Minister, Matia Chowdhury, and the former Home and Telecommunications Minister, Mohammad Nasim.
Police blocked their procession before mercilessly beating them up, the Opposition leaders alleged. Several party MPs and a host of leaders were also victims of the indiscriminate lathi-charge. The injured persons were later rushed to hospital.
This was the first country-wide hartal called by the main Opposition party against the three month-old Government's decision to increase the prices of fuel, gas, electricity and water.
The strike evoked support in all major towns including Dhaka, Chittagong and Khulna where private vehicles remained off the road and shops and businesses were closed. Activities in the country's two ports in Chittagong and Mongla were affected while the Benapole trading post, which transacts most business between India and Bangladesh, did not function.
On Tuesday, police teargassed and clubbed the activists of the Awami League as they tried to take out a procession from the party's office in Gulistan. The law enforcers also blocked a procession of the party's students wing, the Chhatra League, and snatched away microphones from the meeting venue. At least 10 student activists were arrested. The Awami League claimed that party leaders and workers were beaten up in many other parts of the country.
The party had called a half-day hartal also on Dec. 2 protesting against the Government's dramatic withdrawal of state security to Sheikh Hasina. But the programme had got a lukewarm response.
Meanwhile, the Government filed six more corruption cases against three Awami League leaders and some bureaucrats.
New charges were brought by the Bureau of Anti-Corruption against the former Food Minister and party presidium member, Amir Hossain Amu, the former Home and Telecommunications minister, Mohammad Nasim, the former State Minister for Power, Rafiqul Islam, and others.
Earlier, on Dec. 11, Sheikh Hasina and six former ministers were implicated were corruption cases.
The Bureau of Anti-Corruption is reportedly conducting investigations for preparing the charge-sheets.
The Awami League did not announce any fresh agitation plan immediately but some leaders said a series of anti-Government programmes would be announced after Sheikh Hasina returns home from her current foreign tour on Jan. 12.
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