State of emergency in Bangladesh
Caretaker president Iajuddin Ahmed has announced a state of emergency in Bangladesh after weeks of political crisis over elections due this month.
A late night-early morning curfew (2300-0500 local time) is in force. A presidential address is due shortly.
Weeks of violence have left more than 40 people dead. A major alliance of parties is boycotting the election because it says it is being rigged.
Earlier on Thursday, the UN and EU withdrew support for the disputed vote.
Sate television said the curfew affected more than 60 cities and towns across Bangladesh. as well as the capital Dhaka.
"The president has declared a state of emergency and a curfew has been imposed daily from 11pm to 5am," it reported.
"The president will address the nation over television and radio tonight."
Hours earlier, the UN and the EU said they were suspending assistance for the 22 January general election.
A UN statement said: "The political crisis... has severely jeopardised the legitimacy of the electoral process."
The EU said conditions for a credible vote did not exist and its observers would leave Bangladesh by Sunday night.
'Bias'
The BBC's John Sudworth in the capital, Dhaka, says the announcements by the UN and EU are being seen as a strong signal from the international community to the caretaker government that the poll should be postponed.
Our correspondent says that with polls now less than two weeks away the election process is in tatters and there is no sign of compromise.
The alliance led by the Awami League is refusing to take part, claiming the electoral register is incomplete, inaccurate and biased in favour of its bitter rival, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) which left office in October.
But the caretaker government insists the constitution does not allow it to suspend the election.
The BNP rejects the allegations of bias and says it and its allies will take part in the vote.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6252397.stm
Caretaker president Iajuddin Ahmed has announced a state of emergency in Bangladesh after weeks of political crisis over elections due this month.
A late night-early morning curfew (2300-0500 local time) is in force. A presidential address is due shortly.
Weeks of violence have left more than 40 people dead. A major alliance of parties is boycotting the election because it says it is being rigged.
Earlier on Thursday, the UN and EU withdrew support for the disputed vote.
Sate television said the curfew affected more than 60 cities and towns across Bangladesh. as well as the capital Dhaka.
"The president has declared a state of emergency and a curfew has been imposed daily from 11pm to 5am," it reported.
"The president will address the nation over television and radio tonight."
Hours earlier, the UN and the EU said they were suspending assistance for the 22 January general election.
A UN statement said: "The political crisis... has severely jeopardised the legitimacy of the electoral process."
The EU said conditions for a credible vote did not exist and its observers would leave Bangladesh by Sunday night.
'Bias'
The BBC's John Sudworth in the capital, Dhaka, says the announcements by the UN and EU are being seen as a strong signal from the international community to the caretaker government that the poll should be postponed.
Our correspondent says that with polls now less than two weeks away the election process is in tatters and there is no sign of compromise.
The alliance led by the Awami League is refusing to take part, claiming the electoral register is incomplete, inaccurate and biased in favour of its bitter rival, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) which left office in October.
But the caretaker government insists the constitution does not allow it to suspend the election.
The BNP rejects the allegations of bias and says it and its allies will take part in the vote.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6252397.stm
