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Violence as former Bangladeshi leader is barred from polls

Police in Bangladesh yesterday used batons and tear gas to disperse thousands of stone-throwing supporters of a former military ruler, leaving several activists injured.

The violence occurred in Rangpur town, 248km north of the capital, Dhaka, the area's police chief Zahedur Rahman Chowdhury said by phone.

He said several people were injured in the melee during the protest against the rejection of an application by former president Hussain Muhammad Ershad to stand in next month's national election.

Bangladesh's supreme court on Tuesday rejected a plea by Ershad seeking overturn of a two-year jail sentence given by a lower court three years ago for squandering government funds.

The verdict ruled out a return to politics for Ershad, as the election commission barred him from contesting in any of the five constituencies he hoped to stand in at the polls next month.

Police said supporters of the former dictator chanted "no Ershad, no elections," smashed cars and ransacked shops.

The area is a bastion of support for Ershad, who ruled the country between 1982 and 1990.

"Police dispersed about 1,000 supporters of Ershad's Jatiya Party after they went unruly, smashing chairs at a government office, cars and ransacking shops," police sub-inspector Mohammad Solaiman said.

Hundreds of soldiers and armed police were deployed to quell the violence, he added.

The city of more than 200,000 was at a standstill after the Jatiya Party called a strike in protest at Ershad's disqualification. Offices were closed, schools and roads were empty.

Jatiya Party supporters also disrupted inter-district buses and trains and also enforced a strike in five other neighboring district towns, police said.

The northeastern city of Sylhet was also brought to a halt.
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