Bangladesh’s opposition leader, Khaleda Zia, has been charged with instigating an arson attack on a bus which claimed the lives of seven people.
Police said the vehicle had been full of sleeping passengers when it was firebombed near the town of Chauddagram on Tuesday.
Ms Zia, the leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), is one of 56 named people charged over the attack.
The BNP has denied responsibility and condemned the violence.
The attack came in the middle of a general shutdown and blockade declared by Ms Zia last month, which was part of an attempt to force Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to call fresh elections.
Seven people burned to death and 15 others were injured, as the packed bus travelled from the coastal city of Cox’s Bazar to the capital, Dhaka.
Unlike many vehicles using major roads during the blockade, it had no security escort from police or paramilitary border guards.
Trial possible
Local police chief Uttam Chakrabarty said two cases had been filed, accusing 56 named suspects and another 20 who were unnamed.
Ms Zia has been accused of acting as the instigator.
The main person wanted in connection with the fatal attack is a politician from an Islamist party which works with the BNP.
Nuruzzman Howlader, another police official who filed the cases, said the violence was related to the opposition strike and it was carried out following Ms Zia’s order.
“That’s why her name has been mentioned as the instigator,” he added.
Ms Zia, her aides and opposition activists have all denied involvement in the fire bombing.
The BNP boycotted last year’s election along with other opposition parties, saying it would be rigged.
They were angry that Sheikh Hasina, who has been in power since 2009, refused to stand aside to make way for a neutral caretaker administration to oversee the vote.
Ms Hasina has denounced her opponents as militants and accused activists of engaging in terrorism rather than politics.
She said that if necessary Khaleda Zia would be put on trial for the deaths of people killed in the wave of political violence which started last month.
BBC Bangla’s Sayala Roksana in Dhaka says at least 50 people have been killed and 1,000 injured since 5 January. More than 7,000 opposition activists have been arrested.
Source: BBC
Awami-League in 1994-95 launched a movement collapsing the normal running of the country for almost whole of the year claiming a care=taker government during election.But all on a sudden they most dramatically changed the constitution abolishing the provision of care-taker government from the constitution.And had hold the election in 5th.jan.2014.People did not participate in the election.moreover 153 seats of the parliament were elected without vote.153 out of 300.Which meant government were formed without any vote. Citizens were snatched away their rights to vote. most amazing thing that Hussain Mohammd Ershad ,now whose wife is the leader of the opposition in the parliament withdrew their nomination from election commission and claimed to boycott the election. But election commission did not agree to let it be withdrawn.None has heard such thing. However, Mr,Ershad claimed to have been arrested at one night and kept in confinement at Combined military hospital in Dhaka. All his nominee withdrew their candidacy. But funny things happened that they all won the election.
Not more than 10% vote were casted.
Shiekh Hasina declared it is an election which is a constitutional obligation. After election things will be normalized. But it is one year since the election were held, now she is saying that she will continue to remain in power.Even Khaleda zia were not allowed to hold meettings.As if Hasina is a monarch.If Khaleda would not have resisted it Bangladesh would have turned into a state like Syria or Libya.