DHAKA, March 21: Several people were injured in Bangladesh on Thursday in protests over the scrapping of a law that requires portraits of Bangladesh’s founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to be displayed in public buildings.

Paramilitary troops and police were deployed around the parliament building as MPs approved the abolition of the law.

Sheikh Mujib was the father of opposition leader Sheikh Hasina Wajed, whose Awami League passed the portrait law while in power.

Police used tear-gas to disperse Awami League activists protesting against the bill near their party office, leaving several people with minor injuries, the private Ekushey Television network reported.

Dhaka Mayor Mohammad Hanif, of the Awami League, condemned the police action and criticised the government for its “repressive and undemocratic” attitude towards the opposition.

As the parliamentary debate began, more than 30 Awami League MPs, led by party secretary general Zillur Rahman, gathered outside the main parliament chamber and staged a noisy protest.

But the bill was approved by the house amid applause from the ruling party MPs. It will become law with approval of President Badruddoza Chowdhry in next few days, parliamentary sources said.

Prime Minister Khaleda Zia later criticised the former government for imposing the portrait law “unilaterally”.

She told the house that her government would propose a new bill providing for the display of a panel of four portraits of Sheikh Mujibur as well as slain president Ziaur Rahman and other sitting heads of state and government.

Ziaur Rahman, a military general who was Zia’s husband, came to power following the assassination of Sheikh Mujib. He was also assassinated in an abortive coup in 1981.

The Awami League has boycotted the 300-seat parliament since losing an October 1 election to the arch-rival Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

The party announced last week its 58 MPs would also resign their seats.

Sheikh Hasina, touring southern districts, has given no timetable for the en masse resignation but hinted that the bill on Sheikh Mujib might precipitate the move and lead to protests.

Prime Minister Khaleda Zia warned the opposition Tuesday: “Tough action will be taken if you resort to violence and chaos in the streets, causing damage to public property instead of joining the parliament.”

Begum Zia’s BNP also boycotted parliament when in opposition.—AFP