The New Nation - Internet Edition

12 students among 15 hurt in clash with police

UNB, Dhaka

Students of Govt Bigyan College clashed with police during violent protests after three of them were knocked down from a running bus amid haggling about fare at Tejgaon in the city yesterday afternoon, leaving 15 people injured.

Police and witnesses said three students of the college - Hridom, Onik and another one-locked in an altercation with the conductor and the helper of Bikalpa Paribahan, a city commuter bus, as the students wanted to pay half-fare. They were on their way to college to attend college test.

At one stage of the altercation, the bus helper and the conductor pushed them down from the speedy bus at about 9am. Injured severely, the students were rushed to a local clinic from where Hridom was shifted to Pangu (orthopedic) Hospital in critical condition.

The test exam over, the college students got angry hearing about the incidents stormed out into street with sticks and rods. They vandalized three buses of Bikalpa Paribahan at Farmgate at about 2:30pm amid the street rioting that turned city's busiest road into a veritable battlefield.

During the vandalism, vehicular movement on the adjacent road was disrupted for an hour. "People passing through the area were seen moving desperately here and there for safe and secure shelter," says a spot account of the melee.

On information, police came to the spot and chased the agitating students into the college campus. They also charged baton on the protestors inside the campus, ignoring repeated requests made by the teachers. The cop action provoked students once again into a clash, the sources said.

The angry students responded to the police 'aggression' by pelting

them with brickbats and stones

During the clash, which lasted for another hour, at least 12 more students and a police man were injured.

Injured students were rushed to different clinics from where they received first aid.

Police reinforcements were deployed on the college premises, who later took the situation under control.

36 paper bombs recovered in Rajshahi city

UNB, Rajshahi

Police recovered 36 homemade paper bombs, abandoned in front of new Govt Degree College and Bangladesh Bank office in the city yesterday morning.

Rajpara thana officer Anisur Rahman said 24 bombs were found in front of the college and 12 in front of the bank office.

EIU expects C.G to transfer power to elected govt

UNB, Dhaka

The London based Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has said the caretaker government in Bangladesh is expected to hand over power to a new elected government shortly after the parliamentary election.

The EIU in its monthly report said, however, the caretaker government and the Election Commission (EC) need to overcome a number of obstacles in the weeks ahead to ensure that the poll is free, fair and credible.

It said the election would be regarded as free if all political parties were able to participate.

The recent decision by the caretaker government to grant bail to a number of important politicians, arrested as a result of its anti-corruption drive, has helped to fulfill its promise of a free poll.

More importantly, the EIU said, Khaleda Zia of BNP and Sheikh Hasina of Awami League, who are both under investigation for corruption, are now in a position to participate. As neither has yet been convicted, they could conceivably contest their seats and one of them could become the next prime minister.

The report said Khaleda and Hasina remain hugely popular figures, but the success of the AL at the elections for city corporations and municipalities in August suggests that it is in a favourable position to win.

The election would be deemed fair if voters were allowed to exercise their democratic rights. There remains uncertainty, however, over whether this condition can be met.

The report said severe restrictions have been placed on civil liberties since emergency rule was imposed on January 11 2007. Concerns over a possible deterioration in the security situation in the run-up to the poll are likely to prevent a complete lifting of emergency rule, although the government may relax certain restrictions ahead of and during the election.

But political parties will continue to make the full lifting of the state of emergency a primary condition of their participation in the election. It said maintaining emergency rule may jeopardize the credibility of the poll, especially if the European Commission decides not to send a delegation to observe the vote. The election's integrity could be undermined further if the main political parties decide not to participate, although, given the conciliatory stance adopted by the EC in recent weeks and its ongoing efforts to engage the parties in dialogue, this seems unlikely. The report said elections to upazila parishad are planned to be held in two phases, on December 24 and 28, but may be delayed until early 2009, in view of ongoing protests by the main parties.