Opposition calls for protests,16 BNP leaders charged for arson

Bangladesh's opposition party BNP has called for fresh countrywide protests tomorrow to push for the postponement of the gener- al election, as 16 of its activists, including two top leaders, were charged for a deadly arson attack on a bus. Police have filed a case against 16 BNP leaders, including the party's acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, in connection with yesterday's arson attack on a bus in which two people were killed and 16 others injured.

Suspected Opposition activists had torched the bus on the third day of their 71hour nationwide blockade. Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which ended the blockade at 5 am today, denied allegations of setting the bus on fire, attributing the act to government supporters.

The ruling Awami League and BNP are at loggerheads over the system for conducting the polls. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has formed a multi-party interim set-up while the BNP wants elections under a non-party interim government.

The opposition led by BNP is demanding that the polls scheduled for January 5 should be shelved until the dispute over the poll-time government is settled. Alamgir today reiterated BNP's demand to postpone the polls until the dispute is resolved. Police said they have recorded 21 deaths during the opposition-enforced three-day strike.

BNP and its allies have announced fresh protest rallies today across the country to push for the postponement of the general election after its three-day strike.