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Blockade resumes in Bangladesh

Haroon Habib

DHAKA: A fresh spell of blockade that began on Monday paralysed Bangladesh's normal life, halting transport and businesses, as Dhaka remained cut off from the rest of the country.

This was the fourth round of country-wide blockade in a fortnight, being enforced by the14-party Opposition combine, civil society and citizen forums demanding free and fair elections under a neutral Election Commission and a non-partisan caretaker administration.

In its first major move to overcome the stalemate, the caretaker Government on Monday held talks with the beleaguered Chief Election Commissioner Justice M. A. Aziz and his deputies whose resignations have appeared to be the only remedy to bring back political stability ahead of the elections. The outcome of the talks and whether the controversial CEC and ECs will resign, were not known but it has become amply clear that the caretaker authority may find it tough to hold a credible election keeping those controversial men in the Election Commission.

The nationwide blockade restarted on Monday after a four-day gap, with the Opposition parties alleging that Chief Advisor Iajuddin Ahmed has failed to concede their 11-point charter of demands for holding free and fair national elections.

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