04 January 2004	Sunday	11 Ziqa'ad 1424

DHAKA, Jan 3: Some 50 workers of the Awami League, including a presidium member, were injured on Saturday as the party clashed with law enforcement agencies in Dhaka and elsewhere in Bangladesh during a strike.

Police rounded up 40 protesters from different parts of the capital. The AL leaders, however, claimed that over one hundred workers were arrested during the strike.

The Awami League called the nationwide strike to protest "the price spiral in essential commodities, infringement of democratic rights and repression of political opponents by the government".

Activists of the AL's women front and members of the female police fought scuffles when the party tried to break a police cordon in front of its central office on Bangabandhu Avenue. At one stage, police resorted to light batoncharge.

The party's presidium member, Matia Chowdhury, fell down during the scuffle and received injures in her leg. However, Ms Matia accused the police of using club. Police arrested three women activists form the spot.

Almost all educational institutions, shopping centres and business houses remained closed. No inter-district buses plied the highways, but train and flight schedules were almost normal.