October 22, 2002	Tuesday	Sha’aban 15,1423

DHAKA, Oct 21: Bangladesh’s opposition Awami League on Monday threatened a series of strikes and protests after two senior party leaders were detained by troops helping police in a crackdown on crime.

The League said in a statement that it had called a six-hour strike in the capital on Thursday to protest the detention of former ministers Saber Hossain Chowdhury and Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selimin.

The two were separately detained by the army, which has been ordered by the government to help police restore law and order following a crime wave across the country.

“The party also plans protests rallies in Dhaka on Tuesday and Wednesday,” the Awami League said.

An emergency meeting of the party, chaired by leader Sheikh Hasina, asked the army to respect human rights and act neutrally while conducting anti-crime raids.

The meeting called the detentions a “renewed persecution of the opposition”.

The government began deploying thousands of troops across the country last week to help police in a crackdown on suspected criminals.

Talking to newsmen on Monday, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia declined to say how long the army would be used.

“They are helping the civil administration and will pull back when our democratic government thinks it appropriate,” she said.

She said also that the government would soon unveil a new law aimed at speeding up criminal trials.

Khaleda dismissed suggestions the deployment of troops to tackle crime was a “last resort” and might actually plunge the country into greater lawlessness.

Witnesses said police apparently took a back seat as soldiers on Monday searched vehicles and homes for criminals and illegal weapons in the capital.

About 1,500 people have been detained so far, including leaders and activists of both the Awami League and Khaleda’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), police and officials said.

Sheikh Hasina appointed Saber Chowdhury, a former president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, as her political adviser following last October’s general election which she lost to Khaleda.

At a Dhaka rally on Saturday, Hasina threatened to launch a movement against what she called government-led repression of her party members.

But Khaleda as said she was determined to use all means to improve law and order, and said she had asked the army to act firmly against any criminals — regardless of their political affiliations.—Reuters