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Blasts and opposition protest hit Dhaka
 DHAKA: A series of small explosions rocked Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, injuring about 20 people overnight, ahead of an opposition-led general strike on Thursday. Police and witnesses said unidentified activists threw petrol bombs and other devices on Wednesday night. At least nine passengers were injured when bombs hit two buses in the city, while sporadic blasts injured at least 10 others in Dhaka. Authorities deployed more than 5,000 police and other security forces in Dhaka on Thursday to try to prevent violence during the daylong strike, the latest in a series of opposition-led stoppages. The main opposition Awami League party and its allies continued a countrywide protest against a grenade attack at a rally late last month, in which five people including a senior Awami leader and former finance minister were killed. Thursday's strike came as the Bangladesh government fumes over the postponement of a South Asian summit, due to start in Dhaka at the weekend. The meeting of leaders from seven South Asian countries was shelved after India's prime minister pulled out because of a political crisis in Nepal and New Delhi's concerns about security in Bangladesh. Posted by: Fred 2005-02-04 |
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