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| Bangladesh blockade cripples city | |
| (about 18 hours later) | |
| Thousands of opposition activists are protesting in Bangladesh on the second day of a nationwide blockade to demand electoral reform. | |
| Transport in and around the capital, Dhaka, has been severely disrupted. | |
| The opposition Awami League and its allies called the protest in an attempt to force the administration to sack election officials they accuse of bias. | |
| Bangladesh is being run by a caretaker government ahead of a general electionin January. | |
| On Sunday, all major towns and cities were affected by the blockade, as well as the country's main sea port, Chittagong. | |
| Protesters blocked railway lines and set fire to a train and a bus on the outskirts of Dhaka. | Protesters blocked railway lines and set fire to a train and a bus on the outskirts of Dhaka. |
| Elsewhere in the city, vehicles which tried to defy the blockade were reportedly set on fire or stoned. | Elsewhere in the city, vehicles which tried to defy the blockade were reportedly set on fire or stoned. |
| Apart from protesters gathering for rallies, the streets were largely deserted, with many businesses and shops closed, witnesses said. | Apart from protesters gathering for rallies, the streets were largely deserted, with many businesses and shops closed, witnesses said. |
| Disaster warning | Disaster warning |
| Dhaka's police force said on Saturday it had banned "processions, rallies, demonstrations, sieges, sit-ins and blockades", as well as the carrying of potential weapons, the Associated Press news agency reports. | Dhaka's police force said on Saturday it had banned "processions, rallies, demonstrations, sieges, sit-ins and blockades", as well as the carrying of potential weapons, the Associated Press news agency reports. |
| The country's interim government has issued a statement warning of serious consequences if the transport blockade continued. | The country's interim government has issued a statement warning of serious consequences if the transport blockade continued. |
| The action was "anti-constitutional and illegal" and in cutting off the supply of food and medical supplies risked creating a humanitarian disaster, it said. | The action was "anti-constitutional and illegal" and in cutting off the supply of food and medical supplies risked creating a humanitarian disaster, it said. |
| Business leaders have also urged an end to the blockade, warning it could cost the country millions of dollars a day in lost export earnings. | Business leaders have also urged an end to the blockade, warning it could cost the country millions of dollars a day in lost export earnings. |
| The 14-party alliance led by the Awami League ordered the protests after Bangladesh's chief electoral commissioner and three deputies refused to resign. | |
| The alliance accuses the officials of planning to rig January's elections in favour of the outgoing government of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. The commissioners deny the allegations. | The alliance accuses the officials of planning to rig January's elections in favour of the outgoing government of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. The commissioners deny the allegations. |
| More than 20 people were killed in clashes between rival political camps when Ms Zia's term expired in October. | More than 20 people were killed in clashes between rival political camps when Ms Zia's term expired in October. |
| The country's figurehead president, Iajuddin Ahmed, assumed control of the government after the political parties failed to agree on who should lead the caretaker administration to oversee the vote. |