1 dead, dozens injured in Bangladesh hartal violence

An auto-rickshaw passenger was dead and dozens of others including cops injured Sunday in stray incidents of violence during the first day of a nationwide 84-hour non-stop general strike enforced by Bangladesh's main opposition alliance. Nirmal Das, 45, died on Sunday morning when the auto-rickshaw he was travelling in overturned after being allegedly chased by strikers in Chittagong, some 242 km southeast of capital Dhaka. Ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's opposition alliance Friday called a non-stop 72-hour strike form Sunday morning demanding national polls slated for early 2014 under a non-party caretaker government. Protesting the arrest of five top leaders, who were detained late Friday night and early Saturday, the opposition alliance has later extended its 72-hour shutdown by 12 hours. On account of the hartal, huge clashes between pro-hartal pickets and police backed by ruling Bangladesh Awami League (AL) party men have also been reported in parts of capital Dhaka and elsewhere in the country. The hartal crippled the normal life and business transactions to large extent with many main markets and educational institutions closed. Private cars were rarely seen on Dhaka roads but a large number of man-peddled rickshaws appeared in the usually bustling streets along with the presence of public transport including city buses. Riot police shot rubber bullets and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse stone throwing pro-hartal activists who attempted to block roads and bring out procession along the major city streets, disrupting traffic. Police reportedly detained dozens of opposition alliance men as they locked horns in chase and counter-chase with the law enforcers. Dozens were injured in the street clashes. Scores of cocktails and handmade bombs were reportedly exploded. But there were no reports of casualties. The two leading leaders of the South Asian country's politics held phone talks on Oct. 26, the first direct conversation between the two leaders of the country's politics since January, 2009 when the Hasina cabinet took oath of office. Although both parties are seeking dialogue to end impasse over the formation of the polls-time government, no headway has been made so far. Despite the main opposition alliance's threat to boycott elections, Bangladesh ruling coalition has initiated moves to form an all-party polls-time interim cabinet in line with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's proposal. The parliament is due to expire on Jan. 24 next year and elections reportedly should be held within 90 days before its expiry.