Senior BNP official arrested in Bangladesh

Police in Bangladesh arrested Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the acting secretary general of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), as he left the National Press Club in the capital, Dhaka, where he had spent Monday night.

"I stayed at the press club for my personal security," Alamgir told reporters shortly before he was taken into custody.

Shiblee Norman, the assistant commissioner of Dhaka's police force, told news agencies that Alamgir had been arrested on charges related to violence that broke out on Monday, the anniversary of last year's election, which the BNP claims was rigged.

Police had banned all forms of gatherings in Dhaka after the BNP, led by former Prime Minister Begum Khalida Zia, called her supporters to take to the streets to demonstrate against the disputed polls.

Four killed in clashes

At least four people were killed in clashes between supporters of Zia and those of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League on Monday.

Police said two people were killed after two men on a motorcycle opened fire on a group of anti-government activists in Natore district, 160 kilometers (100 miles) northwest of the capital, Dhaka. A BNP official said the two victims were supporters of the opposition party, although police could not immediately confirm their identities.

Two other deaths and dozens of injuries were reported from clashes involving the police and supporters of the two parties in the northwestern districts of Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj.

Violence was also reported in the port city of Chittagong.

In addition to Monday's demonstrations, the BNP has also called on its supporters to blockade roads, rail lines and waterways across the country indefinitely.

Threat of a murder charge

Zia remained cordoned off in her Dhaka office on Tuesday, which police first prevented her from leaving over the weekend, saying this was part of enhanced security measures.

Meanwhile, the AFP news agency quoted Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu as saying Zia could be charged with murder over an arson attack on a vehicle travelling through Dhaka last week. The authorities have blamed BNP supporters for the attack, which three people fighting for their lives.

"She should prepare for a murder case," the minister said.

The BNP and around 20 other opposition parties boycotted last year's election, claiming that the results would be rigged, effectively handing power to Hasina's Awami League.

pfd/rg (AP, Reuters, AFP)