Islamist party leader killed in gunfight in Bangladesh

    
Enamul Hoque, a senior police official in Bangladesh confirmed on Monday in Satkhira district, Dhaka, that an Islamist party leader was killed in a gunfight amid opposition’s march programme in Bangladesh.

He said the gunfight erupted after activists of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami party attacked the law enforcers when they were conducting a drive in place of Satkhira.

Xinhua reports that Satkhira was considered stronghold of Jamaat, a key ally in ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s 18-party alliance that continued its “March for Democracy” programme on Monday, demanding scrap of parliament polls slated for Jan. 5, 2014.

Khaleda’s BNP and its 17 allies, including Jamaat, are boycotting the polls.

The opposition alliance has asked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to bring back a non-party caretaker system, or else the opposition won’t participate in the next election.

The opposition fears an election without the non-party caretaker government will not be free and fair.

Hasina’s ruling Bangladesh Awami League party has vowed to resist the march programme and asked its activists to guard all entry points to Dhaka.

At least two people were dead on Sunday in march violence.

NAN