Bangladesh army called out to protect caretaker gov't

Bangladesh President Prof. Iajuddin Ahmed, who is also the head of caretaker government, early hours on Sunday called out armed forces in aid of the civil administration to maintain law and order after former main opposition Awami League (AL)-led 14-party combine threatened to siege President House.

And the Bangladesh armed forces, who were on a winter training session, have taken position in important points, a home ministry notification said early on Sunday, without mentioning exactly how long the armed forces will stay outside their barracks, but sources in the armed forces said deployment of the army has already started and army has taken position in important places in the capital.

Meantime, Bangladesh police has imposed a ban on gatherings, rallies, meetings and processions around the President House with effect from Saturday night. The ban will be in force until further order, a police press release late Saturday night said.

President House sources said Prof. Iajuddin Ahmed in a sudden move on Saturday night met with the chiefs of armed forces division and National Security Intelligence (NSI) and signed an order to deploy armed forces across the country. But his 10-member advisory council raised stiff opposition. And then Ahmed decided to call out troops on his own account.

An adviser said they were unanimous in their opposition to the president's move, but Ahmed did not bother to take notice of it.

The advisory council held two rounds of meeting on Saturday with the president and chief advisor of the caretaker government to seek an end to the current political standoff , but the meetings ended inconclusive.

Shafi Sami, an advisor of the council briefing newsmen Saturday night said they could not make any headway despite they met twice, but he said they will continue their efforts on Sunday.

Since the caretaker government took office on October 29, Ahmed on two occasions had decided to call out army, but did not do it in the stiff opposition from his 10-member advisory council.

The 14-party combine led by AL of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina had been pressing the caretaker government to execute a five-point package program, including reshuffle of civil and police administrations, correction of the updated voter list prepared in 2000, reconstitution of the Election Commission (EC) with dropping two controversial election commissioners.

The caretaker government executed some demands of the combine, but the demand for reconstitution of the EC and President Ahmed should step down from the position of caretaker government chief remained unsettled.

Earlier, the combine had planned to assemble two million party activists to siege the President House from Sunday, but later on Saturday they allowed the caretaker government one more day to realize its demand, otherwise they would put the indefinite siege from Monday.

Earlier, the advisory council had meetings with former ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) -led four-party alliance and the 14-party combine in a bid to settle the current impasse and both the coalitions had agreed to the five-point package program. But two day's ago, the four-party alliance backed out from the consensus of reconstitution of the EC, including sending two commissioners on long leave. BNP Secretary General Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan said they will not compromise on the question of sending two commissioners on long leave.

The 14-party combine's demand also included appointment of two new commissioners in the EC to replace the two to be sent on leave.

The 14-party combine after the president's move expressed guarded reaction early hours on Sunday. They rejected it and demanded implementation of the proposals of reconstitution of EC.

President Iajuddin Ahmed, a university professor turned politician, became caretaker government chief adviser on October 29 after the former ruling BNP government ended its five-year tenure on October 27.

Awami League-led 14-party combine insisted Ahmed was nominated president by BNP, so he couldn't be neutral and demanded him to step down from the position of caretaker government chief.

According to Bangladeshi Constitution, a neutral caretaker government supervises the next general elections.

Source: Xinhua