Bangladesh was paralyzed Sunday, the first day of indefinite blockade enforced by former opposition Awami League (AL) who led 14-party combine to force the caretaker administration to meet the 11-point demand of the party, including removal of chief election commissioner (CEC) to hold a credible election.

The first day blockade was by and large peaceful amid tight security as there was no report of major violence from anywhere in the country except a few sporadic disturbances of chase and counter-chase between security force and the activists of the combine.

The activists of the combine stopped trains in several places and then the activists laid on the railway track. They torched a train near Dhaka, but there was no report about any dead or injury.

In the capital, the caretaker government posted about 20,000 security forces, including police, anti-crime elite force Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and para-military Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) to quell any untoward incident like that occurred in late last month.

Similar blockade was enforced across the country from Oct. 28 for three days during which AL activists fought with their rivals of immediate past ruling party Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its coalition partner Jamaat-e-Islami, leaving at least 30 dead and hundreds wounded.

AL chief Sheikh Hasina extended its deadline to caretaker government Chief Adviser and Bangladeshi President Iajuddin Ahmed until Nov. 11 allowing him to show his neutrality for holding a free and fair election in January next year.

President Iajuddin took over the post of Chief Adviser of caretaker administration as both AL and BNP failed to search out a compromise candidate for the post to supervise the national elections in line with the constitution.

The main demand of the 14-party combine is to remove CEC MA Aziz and his three deputies as what combine leaders say they were loyal to BNP. Aziz also made him controversial at the time of updating the voter list.

Aziz was asked by different political parties to step down, but Aziz said he will not resign. He also said a clean election is possible under him.

The activists of the combine Sunday took position in 27 entry points in capital. They held rallies in different areas where the activists set fire on effigy of Aziz. They also shouted slogans asking Aziz to go and the president to meet the demands. All transport movement came to a halt across the country for which Bangladesh's major seaport in southeastern Chittagong could not handle goods.

Business leaders earlier said a day's shutdown causes US$60 million economic loss to this South Asian country with the population of 140 million.

Schools, colleges and shopping centers were shut across the country. There was no movement of transport in the capital except the three-wheeler paddle rickshaws, one of the major mode in the country.

(Xinhua News Agency November 13, 2006)