Bangladesh on alert after election threats

by Sanjay Jha | December 21, 2008 at 11:00 pm

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Bangladesh is holding parliamentary elections first time after seven years on December 29 after lifting its two year old state of emergency. The elections are intended to return the country to democratic rule. Apart from two main parties Awami league and Bangladesh Nationalist Party, there are two smaller Jatiya Party & Jamaat-e-Islami contesting the elections.

Bangladesh has beefed up security for former Prime Minister and Awami League Chief Sheikh Hasina after Indian intelligence agencies warned that an outlawed militant group's suicide squad trained by an ISI operative planned to assassinate her before December 29 polls.

Bangladesh has tightened security around the former prime minister, Sheikh Hasina Wajed, after Indian media reports that extremists were planning to assassinate her before the December 29 elections.

The head of the elite Rapid Action Battalion in Dhaka, Hasan Mahmud Khandaker, says the Indian television report quoting unnamed Indian intelligence officials is being investigated.

Mr Khandaker says security has already been tightened for Sheikh Hasina.

Bangladesh has been hit by several attacks involving Muslim extremist groups in recent years.

Security has also been stepped-up for the two-time former prime minister, Begum Khaleda Zia, who leads the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

Authorities have deployed nearly 50,000 troops in a bid to avert pre-poll violence.