Clashes, blasts mark Bangladesh opposition protest

Several bombs exploded in Bangladesh's capital and police clashed with protesters Tuesday as opposition leaders enforced a daylong, nationwide general strike over what they say is police intimidation. Witnesses and news reports said several homemade bombs exploded during the beginning of the shutdown. RTV and Bangla Vision stations reported explosions in different areas of Dhaka. It was not clear if there were any injuries. Small-scale clashes were reported inside and outside Dhaka, and thousands of security officials were deployed in the capital to maintain order. Nearly 400 members of paramilitary Bangladesh Border Guard were also deployed to aid police in Dhaka, said Maj. Gen. Aziz Ahmed, the force's director general. Schools and most businesses in Dhaka were closed Tuesday. Traffic was thin on the usually clogged streets. An 18-party opposition alliance led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, or BNP, was enforcing the strike to protest alleged police intimidation during a rally on Monday. The party and its allies are demanding restoration of a caretaker government system to oversee upcoming elections, according to a report of the Associated Press.