DHAKA, March 22: The leftist and the Islamic organizations have enforced today a half-day general strike across Bangladesh to protest against the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq.

The newly formed left-leaning Platform Against Imperialist War announced the strike on Thursday afternoon against the US war on Iraq and Bangladesh government’s failure to take an unambiguous stance. Later, the Islamic Constitution Movement (ICM) and Islamic Law Implementation Committee (ILIC) extended their support to the hartal.

The government deployed some 5000 police and more than 200 paramilitary BDR personnel in Dhaka.

Almost all schools, most of the big shopping malls and roadside shops were closed; transactions in the banks were made with the main gates shut. Traffic in the streets was less than normal and attendance in government offices was thin.