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5 killed as Bangla opposition clash with police for second day

From Anisur Rahman      Dhaka, Jan 30 (PTI) One person was killed and over 50 others injured today in the second straight day of nationwide violent clashes between riot police and Bangladeshi opposition parties determined to force the government to restore the caretaker government system to supervise election. 30-year-old Shafiqul Islam, an activist of Bangladesh's largest Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) which is a key ally of the main opposition BNP, succumbed to his wounds, taking the death toll to five in two days of violence, officials and reports said. They said Islam had received bullet wounds in clashes with police at northeastern Rajshahi district as the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Jamaat staged nationwide anti-government protests. Witnesses said at least 50 people were injured during the clashes when police used tear gas and rubber bullets while the violent protesters used crude bombs and brickbats. The Awami League-led coalition of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last year scrapped the neutral caretaker government system to oversee general election which is due in early 2014. Demanding the restoration of the caretaker system, the main opposition and its allies had called for a mass protest demonstration over the issue yesterday. Police has banned all political rallies amid fears of violent clashes between the BNP and the cadres of the ruling Awami League party. BNP secretary general Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today claimed the killings were part of a plan to gag the opposition. Even as the Rajshahi police confirmed the death of Islam, they denied the claim of the opposition parties that he was shot dead in a police shootout. Metropolitan Police commissioner Mohammad Obaidullah said "police did not fire any bullets, they only used teargas shells".