Monday, October 4, 1999
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W O R L D | Monday, October 4, 1999 |
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Indo-Pak talks soon: Aziz ISLAMABAD, Oct 3 — Pakistan today hinted that the stalled Indo-Pak dialogue process could resume soon after possible meetings between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Atal Behari Vajpayee in Durban and Kathmandu next month. Russia pounds Chechen areas MOSCOW, Oct 3 — Russian tanks pounded Chechen positions near the western village of Bamut early today as federal forces continued to carve out a security zone in the breakaway republic, reports said. |
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 RIVERSIDE, USA : A missile defence test rocket provided residents of three western states with a spectacular scene in the sky on Saturday, similar to this view from Riverside, California. A vapour trail was visible to residents in California, Nevada, and Arizona. This missile travelled from Vandenburg Air Force Base to the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean where it was destroyed by an anti-missile weapon. "It was a successful intercept,'' said Sheryl Irwin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Defence. "It did everything it was supposed to do, and it did it perfectly.'' — AP/PTI |
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China,
Russia plan naval manoeuvres Pak
blames RAW for violence Jakarta
may allow refugees to return
Was Atlantis in Bolivia? No
proof of Anwar poisoning Clinton
may visit India, Pak next year Safe
passage plan put on hold 1
killed, 50 hurt in B’desh violence |
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Indo-Pak talks soon: Aziz ISLAMABAD, Oct 3 (PTI) — Pakistan today hinted that the stalled Indo-Pak dialogue process could resume soon after possible meetings between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Atal Behari Vajpayee in Durban and Kathmandu next month and claimed that international pressure was increasing on New Delhi to "deal resolutely" with the Kashmir issue. Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz, who returned here last evening from the UN General Assembly session in New York, told reporters here today that the talks were expected to resume soon after the expected meetings between the two Premiers during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Durban in mid-November. "I think as soon as possible," Mr Aziz said when asked when he expected bilateral talks to resume. By then the newly-elected government in India would have about a month to settle down, he added. There was also a likelihood of another meeting between the two Prime Ministers during the SAARC Summit beginning from November 26 in Kathmandu, Mr Aziz said. Mr Aziz claimed that during his meetings on the sidelines of UN General Assembly with the envoys from different countries he mainly focused on the Kashmir issue and the security situation in South Asia. "On Kashmir I found a deep concern among many colleagues and a desire for early progress towards the resolution of this issue which would help in normalisation of the situation in the region," he said. Mr Aziz referred to a joint initiative of 60 US Congressmen urging President Bill Clinton to appoint a special envoy for Kashmir, saying it "signifies increasing international pressure on India to deal resolutely with the Kashmir issue." He, however, conceded that instead of mediation on the Kashmir issue, the prevailing opinion among world leaders was that Islamabad and New Delhi should initiate the dialogue process to resolve the issue. The Foreign Minister rejected the notion that Mr Clinton had agreed to resolve the Kashmir issue, clarifying that the US President had simply talked of "promoting and intensifying" dialogue between the two countries. "He (Clinton) has been doing this and I presume this effort to intensify the dialogue process will increase after the Indian elections are over and a new government takes over," he said. Mr Aziz claimed that during his interactions in New York, Pakistan successfully countered the "Indian propaganda" on the Kargil issue. "Pakistan has succeeded in effectively countering Indian propaganda about cross-border terrorism and in shifting the focus of international attention from Kargil to the reality of the Kashmir issue," he said. Mr Aziz termed as
"truly and blatantly exaggerated" the Indian
charge that the Kashmir issue arose due to
"infiltration" of Islamic militants from
Pakistan and Afghanistan. |
Russia pounds Chechen areas MOSCOW, Oct 3 (AFP) — Russian tanks pounded Chechen positions near the western village of Bamut early today as federal forces continued to carve out a security zone in the breakaway republic, reports said. Tanks opened fire around 6.30 a.m., shelling the outskirts of the village for around 40 minutes from the neighbouring Russian republic of Ingushetia, the ITAR-Tass news agency said, citing the Ingush Interior Ministry. No further details of the incident were immediately available. Local officials in the southern Russian district of Stavropol meanwhile, said the North Caucasus army group had penetrated up to five kilometres into Chechen territory in the districts of Naursky and Shelkovsky. Government troops had secured the high ground and were reinforcing positions to guard against a counter-attack by Chechen forces, ITAR-TASS said, quoting the press service of the local administration. The news came a day after Chechen fighters clashed with advancing Russian troops in northern Chechnya. General Valery Manilov, Deputy Russian Chief of Staff, said Russian troops had advanced into Chechen territory in three separate places as part of an operation to cut off Chechnya from the rest of the federation. Russian forces moved into Chechnya "by several metres to several kilometres," said Geneal Manilov, without giving details of where the troops were fighting. A Chechen official, Taus Vagurayev, said however that fighting had begun in several villages in northern Chechnya, including Rubyezhnoye, Ishcherskaya, Chernokozovo, Alpatovo and Savelyevskaya in the Naurskaya district. In northeastern Chechnya, near the border with neighbouring Dagestan, elders from Borozdinovsaya village today pleaded with military commanders not to send troops into the settlement, said ITAR-Tass. DPA adds: Russian troops were today engaged for the first time since their incursion into the breakaway republic of Chechnya in battles with resistance groups, according to reports reaching Moscow. While the Russian military spoke of isolated skirmishes, Chechen reports said there was heavy fighting. Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov and Security Minister Turpal Atgeriyev threatened to "destroy" all troops who had entered the country. Mr Maskhadov, in an interview with the German newspaper Frankfurter Rundschau, said if Russia attacked with ground troops "we will forget all our internal disputes". He denied Russian claims that there were terror training camps in Chechnya. He said a total of 450 people had died so far as a result of Russian air strikes. Meanwhile there were also reports that fighting had again erupted in the neighbouring republic of Dagestan. One report said Russian artillery had destroyed a convoy of 18 vehicles carrying about 30 rebels in the Botlich region of Dagestan. Several Russian politicians warned of a new war in Chechnya as the flow of refugees increased to more than 100,000 women, children and old men. The situation was reported especially dramatic in the neighbouring republic of Ingushetia. Former Premier and
possible presidential candidate Yevgeni Primakov said he
was opposed to a ground war in Chechnya that would cost
the lives of many Russian soldiers and Chechen civilians.
He said extremist forces would be strengthened as a
result and Moscow’s reputation would suffer
internationally. |
USA tests anti-missile system WASHINGTON, Oct 3 (PTI) — The USA has successfully tested its anti-missile missile, marking a significant step towards development of defence system against inter-continental ballistic missiles. An "exoatmospheric kill vehicle" ( EKV) successfully intercepted and destroyed an unarmed Minuteman rocket, simulating an enemy missile attack, last night over the central Pacific Ocean, a Pentagon spokesman said. The Minuteman missile took off from Vandenberg Air Force base, California, at 10.02 p.m. (local time) and headed west. About 20 minutes later, the "exoatmospheric kill vehicle" was launched from Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands, 6,880 km west of California. The Minuteman released a dummy warhead and a decoy balloon, designed to resemble the kind of inter-continental missile capabilities, said by intelligence officials to be under development in North Korea and Iran. Pentagon officials said
the EKV — an ungainly looking, 55-inch, 121-pound
assemblage of sensors, thrusters and guidance controls
— found its target and destroyed it 225 km above the
ocean exactly 30 minutes after Minuteman’s launch. |
Nanny says she is innocent LONDON, Oct 3 (PTI) — British nanny Manjit Basuta jailed for 25 years to life for causing the death of a child in her care in Carmel Valley, San Diego, USA, and her brother, Amarjit Singh, have sought intervention of the British Government, claiming she is innocent. Basuta, a 44-year-old India-born Briton, was convicted for shaking 13-month-old Oliver Smith to death this summer. Amarjit Singh told Sun Rise Radio here this morning that "the legal appeal has begun. What we need is help from the British Government". He said already about 40,000 persons had petitioned to the judge during the past six weeks. Fighting back tears, Basuta told the BBC last night: "I still say I am innocent. I did not kill Ollie. I did not hurt that child. I am not the monstrous person that I have been described to people". Asked if she shook Oliver, she answered: "No, I did not shake him. I only shook him to revive him when he fell down. That’s the only time I shook him. I never shook him before that". Basuta admitted it had occurred to her that this shaking might have harmed the baby, but insisted any injury was accidental. "I would have felt guilty if I had not done anything for the child, either," she said. Her supporters last night vowed to raise $ 60,000, necessary to appeal against the sentence handed down by Judge William Kennedy in San Diego on Friday. Appealing to Prime Minister Tony Blair to intervene, Mr Amarjit Singh said his family was "devastated" since Kennedy had indicated two months ago that he was considering a more lenient approach. When Basuta was convicted, Kennedy said it could amount to "cruel and unusual punishment" to sentence her to the mandatory 25 years to life. On Friday, he appeared to contradict himself, saying California’s harsh Tyler-Jaeger Act did not permit him to "tinker" with the punishment. Basuta, formerly of Ascot, Berks, has three sons aged 21, 18 and 11. She moved to California in 1989 when her husband was offered a job. Having worked as a
nurse, she opened a day nursery at their home in Carmel
Valley. In March last year, Oliver, one of the six
children she was looking after on that day, suffered
massive head injuries and died the next day. |
China, Russia plan naval manoeuvres BEIJING, Oct 3 (PTI) — China and Russia are poised to hold first ever joint naval manoeuvres to celebrate 50 years of their diplomatic ties as the leaders of both the countries pledged to promote global peace and development. Chinese President Jiang Zemin and his Russian counterpart Boris Yeltsin hailed the Sino-Russian relations during the past 50 years and highlighted the importance of their partnership to world peace and development, China’s state media reported today. "We are pleased to see that the relations between the two big neighbours of China and Russia have not only been set on normal tracks in a smooth and healthy way, but also are growing ripe," Mr Jiang said in his message to mark the golden jubilee celebrations of the Sino-Russian diplomatic ties. In his message, Mr Yeltsin said past decades had testified that the guideline to establish a sound Russian-Chinese relationship and bilateral dialogues based on equality and trust was extremely necessary. "The Russian-Chinese strategic co-operative partnership is a key factor to promote the establishment of a multipolar world pattern and safeguard the peace and development in Asia and the whole world," Mr Yeltsin said. Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, who visited the Russian embassy here yesterday to mark the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations, a day after China celebrated its 50th founding day, said China hoped that the Sino-Russian cooperation could develop more rapidly on the basis of mutual trust and mutual benefit. Mr Zhu called the celebrations a common festival for the people of China and Russia and said the strategic and coordinative partnership had the characteristics of equality and mutual trust. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who took part in the celebrations hosted by the Chinese embassy in Moscow on Friday, said history had proved that Russia and China had no alternative but to develop friendly and good-neighbourly ties on the basis of mutual respect and equality. Two naval ships of Russia’s pacific fleet are docked at east China’s Shanghai port and are expected to conduct limited naval manoeuvres. Yesterday, top Chinese
military official Gen Zhang Wannian met with the
commander of the Russian Navy’s Pacific Fleet Mihail
Georgevich Zaharenko here and said he was confident that
the Sino-Russian ties would march forward into the new
century in a smooth manner. |
Pak blames RAW for violence ISLAMABAD, Oct 3 (PTI) — Pakistan has blamed India for engineering the latest spate of sectarian violence in the country and asserted that it has "hundred proofs" of involvement of the Indian intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). Rejecting the widespread theory that Pakistani security agencies are behind the killings in an attempt to dislodge the Nawaz Sharif government, the Interior Minister, Choudhary Shujaat Hussain, said the government had sufficient proof to believe that terrorists backed by the RAW were behind violence that had claimed 35 lives in last five days. "There is hundred proofs with us", Mr Hussain said and added that the Foreign Ministry had been asked to lodge a protest with India in this regard. Dispelling the impression that Pakistani agencies may be behind the killings to throw the government out of power, he said "gone are the days when the agencies used to do so". "This is a redundant theory as the agencies in Pakistan today have no role in making and breaking the governments," Mr Hussain added. The minister claimed that there had been perfect harmony between the Shi’ite and Sunni sects in the country in recent times and in this scenario the eruption of the latest killings was quite surprising. He further said the government had been taking steps to hold joint meetings of the leaders of two sects to create harmony among them. His comments came after at least 13 persons, including seven in the southern metropolis of Karachi, were killed yesterday, bringing the toll to 35 mostly from the minority Shi’ite community prompting a front ranking Shi’ite organisation to declare an open war against militant Sunni factions. Karachi, which has seen maximum number of killings over the past few days, including an attack on a Shi’ite imambargah in which nine worshippers were killed on Friday, once again witnessed another mass killing when a Sunni religious school was attacked killing five students and injuring 17 others yesterday. In another similar attack another Sunni activist was killed along with a passer-by in another part of the city. Yesterday a Shi’ite leader was killed along with two others near the Punjab town of Sargodha when a grenade was lobbed at him. Two other Shi’ite activists were killed in other parts, of Punjab and a top police official, who was also a Shi’ite Muslim, was gunned down in Peshawar. The killings came even as the authorities made desperate moves to stem the spate of violence which included Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif promising exemplary punishment to the culprits behind this during his weekly interaction with general public over phone. The Prime Minister’s brother, Mr Shahbaz Sharif, who is a Chief Minister of Punjab made an appeal for restraint and promised to nab the culprits within 48 hours. But Shi’ite organisation Tehreek-e-Jafriya Pakistan (TJP) condemned the government for its failure to protect the citizens and urged the army to take over the reigns of the country. "Under the present circumstances, the armed forces ought to assist efforts to crush terrorists and restore peace and if the efforts do not bear fruit they should take over. They (army) should take concrete measures as the grave situation is an extreme menace to the country’s security and national unity", the TJP said in a statement. It also declared an open war against the terrorists who are attacking the members of the community and condemned the government for projecting the alleged militant Sunni leaders. The statement came after
the chief of militant Sunni, Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan
(SSP), Azam Tariq, who had been taken into custody
earlier, was shown on Pakistan television making appeal
to maintain sectarian harmony in the country. |
Jakarta may allow refugees to
return DILI (East Timor), Oct 3 — Foreign forces in ravaged East Timor have pushed unchallenged into the territory’s deserted west, but across the border in West Timor up to 200,000 refugees still remain languished and terrorised by pro-Jakarta militias. Indonesia came under more international pressure to allow the refugees to return safely from West Timor and escape the militias who have threatened to attack the multinational force (MNF). Col Mark Kelly of the Australian army said the 800 troops pushing to the western half of East Timor had not encountered any militiamen since Friday, but a number of weapons were found. He added that there were few signs of life in East Timor’s west, heartland of the pro-Jakarta militias until the arrival of the UN approved multinational force on September 20. “Operation Lavarack in the western regencies...Is still progressing well. There have been no signs of militia,’’ Colonel Kelly told reporters in Dili. Some 6,000 troops of the eventual 7,500-strong force have landed in East Timor, but only Dili and a few outer towns have been secured. In a common sight in traumatised East Timor, journalists saw the parts of at least three bodies in a well at Liquisa, 40 km west of Dili. Colonel Kelly said Operation Lavarack, which began on Friday, had secured the towns of Balibo and Batugade, both former militia strongholds. The USA added to the pressure to let the refugees go home. “We are hoping that this (the return) takes place and it is vitally important that it does take place,’’ US Defence Secretary William Cohen told reporters in Manila at the end of a five-nation tour. “The militia in Atambua are hunting out male refugees. They want to kill them all,’’ a refugee, Domingos dos Santos, told journalists in Balibo where he was being questioned by Australian troops. Also in Balibo, a former militia stronghold, troops with the MNF sealed off a bloodstained house in which they suspected sex crimes had been committed. Australian Defence Minister John Moore today left open the possibility that multinational troops might pursue militiamen into Indonesian-ruled West Timor in self-defence. His earlier comments that MNF troops might chase militia into West Timor prompted an angry response from Jakarta. Meanwhile, a pro-independence guerrilla commander accused foreign troops of taking too long to bring the territory under control so desperately needed aid could get through. “I am very, very angry and disappointed. This could have been handled much more quickly,’’ “Field Commander” Taur Matan Ruak told reporters in Waimori, about 100 km from Dili and a stronghold of the Falintil guerrilla movement. Commander Ruak, clad in jungle-green fatigues and dark aviator sunglasses, repeatedly offered his own forces to help subdue areas MNF deemed too dangerous to distribute relief aid. “If we could get some sort of cooperation (with MNF), Falintil can go and look for these militias. They would be no match, I can assure you.’’ Ruak also complained about the MNF policy of arresting but then later releasing militiamen. The Commander added that
he had 25 militia in his camp undergoing
“re-education’’, which he said was an
attempt to get the captured men re-integrated into East
Timorese society. — (Reuters) |
USA owes $ 1739 million to
UN Last week, a group of lawmakers from Washington representing both the Republican and Democratic parties, travelled to the United Nations in New York to highlight delinquency of the United States in the payment of dues to the world organisation. “It is wrong, embarassassing and outrageous that the richest country in the world has become the biggest deadbeat,” they told a press conference, while expressing concern over the prospect of the USA losing its vote in the General Assembly. Article 19 of the UN charter, provides that a member state, whose arrears amount to two years worth of dues, shall lose its assembly voting privileges. The United States of America which owes more than a billion dollars, paid just enough by the end of 1998 to avoid article 19 scenario. The amount it will have to pay by the end of this year to retain its voting privileges will be calculated in November. The Congressional members consisting of Ms Nita Lewey, Mr Chris Shays, Mr Eliot Engel and Mr Jim Leach are co-chairpersons of the bipartisan congressional working group which was formed in 1997 to advocate payment of US arrears to the UN Speaking on behalf of the group, Ms Lewey, a member of the House Appropriations Sub-Committee on Foreign Operations, said the funding was critical to US foreign policy. “It shows the international community that a commitment made by the United States of America means something, and it gives the UN the resources it needs to carry on the important work it is doing around the globe,” she said. According to Mr Joseph E.Connor, Under-Secretary-General for Management at the UN, the United States owes the world body $ 1,739 millions until the end of August 1999. He said recently unstable conditions hold hostage the financial future of the UN. The Clinton administration would not like to earn the dubious distinction of losing its voting rights in the General Assembly and the expectations are that it will cough up the amount necessary before the deadline in order to retain those rights. But the large question of the huge piled up arrears will remain until the US government is able to secure Congressional approval for clearing the dues. The stumbling block is the tough-talking Republican Senator from North Carolina, Mr Jesse Helms, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who contends that the UN Assessments of US contribution are too high and need to be reduced. He has quite a few conservative colleagues backing his stand. Ms Lewey points out that some opponents to US payment have, for the last few years, used “another egregious tactic” in which they have linked the arrears to the so-called Mexico City policy — a global gag rule which would destroy our-international family programmes” Congressman Tony Hall, a “pro life” Democrat, who joined the New York press conference, urged that issues of abortion and the arrears should not be linked. “Great nations pay their bills” he said. The “good
news”, according to Mr Shays, is that in the last
year’s US Budget, Congress had appropriated $ 100
million to the plus $ 475 million in the current Budged
year and $ 351 million in next year’s Budget.
“Now, all we need is authorisation to free up that
money, — he said. Continued nonpayment by the USA
was “insanity,” Mr Shays added. |
Was Atlantis in Bolivia? LA PAZ (Bolivia), Oct 3 (Reuters) — The legendary lost continent of Atlantis, which was thought to be buried in a torrent of water, may sit 3,600 metre above sea level in Bolivia, according to a British explorer. “It is time to officially declare to Bolivia and the world that Bolivia is where the legendary city most probably existed out of any other possible site in the world,” Jim Allen told a press conference yesterday. Mr Allen, author of “Atlantis: The Andes Solution”, has devoted the past 20 years of his life to prove his theory. Mr Allen believes that Quillacas, a town of 1,000 persons located 300 km south of this capital city La Paz, was the centre of the lost continent. The town was in a volcanic area and its buildings were constructed with red and black rock in line with the description of Atlantis penned by the Greek philosopher Plato in the fourth century BC, Mr Allen said. The Bolivian Altiplano — flooded by heavy rains tens of thousands of years ago — had at least 50 characteristics that coincide with Plato’s tale, Mr Allen said. Perhaps the most important was the remains of an enormous channel 180 metres wide that matches Plato’s description of Atlantis’ irrigation canal. “The whole region rose sheer out of the sea to a great height, but the part about the city was all smooth plain, enclosing it round about and being itself encircled by mountains that stretched as far as the sea,” the philosopher wrote. The Altiplano takes up 10 per cent of Bolivia and is the largest plain in the world. It is flanked by the Andes mountains, which to the west extends almost to the Pacific Ocean. “South Americans
shouldn’t call themselves South Americans, but
rather Atlantians,” Mr Allen said. |
No proof of Anwar poisoning KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 3 (Reuters) — The results of medical tests on former Malaysian Finance Minister Anwar Ibrahim have yielded no proof he was poisoned with arsenic, Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was quoted today as saying. “So far...investigations carried out using domestic and foreign laboratory facilities show that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has not suffered poisoning,’’ Bernama news agency quoted Abdullah as saying. The police was continuing investigations into Anwar’s allegation that he had been poisoned, he said. Anwar, serving a six-year jail term for corruption, was taken to hospital on September 10 after saying an Australian laboratory had discovered a dangerously high level of arsenic in his blood. The ousted Finance Minister said political opponents had tried to poison him. The government accused him of staging a political ploy ahead of elections due to be called by June 2000. The results of
Anwar’s tests for arsenic poisoning would be
submitted to the capital’s high court which is set
to try him on a sodomy charge tomorrow, a newspaper
reported today. |
Clinton may visit India, Pak next year ISLAMABAD, Oct 3 (DPA) — Pakistani Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz today said the US President, Mr Bill Clinton, plans to visit India and Pakistan early next year but dates have yet to be fixed. Mr Aziz told reporters in Islamabad on return from the United Nations General Assembly session that the visit would be part of the efforts to resolve differences between the two countries. He said the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan would have two opportunities to meet next month when they attend the Commonwealth and the South Asian countries summits in Durban and Kathmandu. They could use the opportunities to discuss resuming the stalled dialogue between the two countries, he said. On the question of
Pakistan’s reluctance to sign the CTBT, the Foreign
Minister said Pakistan had promised to sign the Nuclear
Test Ban Treaty in an atmosphere free of coercion. |
Safe passage plan put on hold JERUSALEM, Oct 3 (Reuters) — Israel said it would postpone the planned opening today of a “safe passage” for Palestinians between the West Bank and Gaza after negotiators failed to resolve a security dispute. “The two parties agreed to resume talks in the next few days in order to find solutions for outstanding issues,” Israel’s Public Security Ministry said. “At this stage, the passage will not be opened,” a ministry statement said in a reversal of a pledge on Friday by a spokesman for Prime Minister Ehud Barak that Israel would make the route operational on Sunday. Opening the route, part of a September 5 peace accord, would allow Palestinians to drive east across Israel from the Gaza strip on the Mediterranean coast to the West Bank. Negotiating teams met near Jerusalem for five hours yesterday in an attempt to settle a dispute over a magnetic card that Israel wants to issue to monitor travellers. Palestinians want to be in charge of distributing the cards. Palestinians also want
guarantees from Israel that it would not turn the transit
route into an “ambush ground” where it would
arrest Palestinians on its wanted list. |
1 killed, 50 hurt in B’desh violence DHAKA, Oct 3 (Reuters) — One person was killed and 50 persons were injured in clashes between government supporters and opposition activists as the latest opposition-led general strike largely paralysed Bangladesh. The police said Mohammad Bidyut (21) of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) was fatally wounded in a bomb and gunbattle with his rivals at Sherpur, nearly 200 km north of the capital, Dhaka. Twenty persons were injured in the town, including 10 policemen, officials said. ‘‘The battle raged for nearly three hours,’’ said district administrator Mohammad Naofel Miah. Witnesses said the police had arrested 15 opposition marchers in Dhaka. The authorities reported that 25 persons were injured in clashes between opposition and government supporters in a village near the northern town of Netrakona. Bangladeshis largely ignored a government plea today to go to work as usual, despite tight security. ‘‘Do your jobs, including business and office work, as usual,’’ said a statement broadcast over radio and television. ‘‘Bring your vehicles on the streets and seek help of the police and other law enforcing agents in case of need,’’ it said. Sunday is a working day in Bangladesh. Municipal officials said 3,500 police and paramilitary troops had been deployed to reinforce security in the Capital. However, there was little traffic on Dhaka’s streets apart from rickshaws and mini-cabs. Work at the country’s ports of Chittagong and Mongla was partially disrupted. ‘‘Handling of cargo is going on more or less normally, but the delivery from the port has been suspended,’’ said one official at Chittagong. Stock exchanges in Dhaka and Chittagong were closed. So were most schools, shops and businesses in Dhaka, a city of nine million. The police said they had no reports of violence in the Capital. The police virtually
sealed off the office of the BNP, the country’s
biggest opposition party, which spearheaded the strike. The strike comes two weeks after opposition parties enforced a three-day stoppage in mid-September in their continuing effort to oust the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The opposition accuses Hasina’s government of being ‘‘inefficient, corrupt, undemocratic and subservient to India,’’ charges the government strongly denies. The BNP and its right-wing allies oppose a government proposal to allow Indian goods to be transported by Bangladeshi trucks to landlocked north-east Indian states, a deal that would earn Dhaka $ 400 million a year. Khaleda has asked Hasina and the country’s Chief Election Commissioner Abu Hena to resign to pave the way for an early, free and fair parliamentary election. The next parliamentary vote is not due before 2001. |
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| Patasse becomes President BANGUI, (Central African Republic): President Ange-Felix Patasse has won a second term in last month’s election with a slim majority against nine other candidates, state radio reported on Sunday. Patasse gained nearly 52 per cent of the vote in the September 19 balloting compared to 19 per cent for his nearest challenger, former President Andre Kolingba. Another former President, Abel Goumba, won 6 per cent and the other candidates received even less. — AP Ex-Islamic militants Ex-radical freed Theft in palace Quake damage President’s
palace |
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