Bangladesh opposition calls for caretaker govt

THE opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Monday gave an ultimatum to the ruling Awami League during a rally to restore a non-party caretaker government or face further protests.

“We demand constitutional amendments to restore a non-partisan caretaker government system by June 10. Otherwise we will start an all-out movement to thwart the government,” said Khaleda Zia, head of the BNP, during a rally of some 100,000 people in front of party headquarters in the capital.

She said the opposition would not accept any provision to hold polls under a partisan government system that would allow the ruling party to rig the results.

National elections are scheduled for 2014.

Members of the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami party joined BNP in Monday’s rally.

Thousands of riot police, security personnel and border guards surrounded the rally that ended peacefully.

Zia further accused the government of barring party activists from traveling to the capital to join the rally and for mass arrests and harassment.

Report from ucanews.com