Bangladesh Violence Injures 50 People

September 16, 1999 - 0:0
DHAKA, Bangladesh Supporters and opponents of an antigovernment strike in Bangladesh attacked each other with guns and bombs Wednesday, injuring at least 50 people in different parts of the country, police said. The three-day shutdown that began Monday is being enforced by a four-party opposition alliance to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government. The strike is scheduled to end Wednesday night.

The latest clashes were reported in Dhaka, the neighboring Adamjee industrial town and the southeastern port city of Chittagong. Wednesday's violence raised the casualties from this week's antigovernment protests to one dead and 350 injured. Nearly 400 people have been arrested across the country. During fighting in the first two days of the strike, police fired rubber bullets and teargas in pitched battles with protesters who set off homemade bombs and threw stones at them.

On Wednesday, protesters exploded bombs in parts of Dhaka after police used batons to scatter them. (AP)