DHAKA: Bangladesh authorities deployed more than 8,000 security guards along the country’s rail network on Tuesday to try to halt a spate of train derailments by anti-government protesters.
A spokesman for state-owned Bangladesh Railway said the guards had been deployed to prevent saboteurs from removing “tracks and fishplates” on main inter-city routes on the eighth day of a transport blockade.
“Six trains have been derailed since the opposition blockade began, “spokesman Syed Zahrul Islam said, adding that more than a dozen people had been injured in the derailments.
“As a result, we have no option but to deploy 8,328 (guards) across the network to prevent further acts of sabotage. “The blockade began on Jan 6 as part of a campaign of protest by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party designed to force the government to hold fresh multi-party elections.
BNP leader Khaleda Zia, who boycotted a general election last year over fears it would be fixed, is currently confined to her office as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina tries to prevent her from spearheading the protests.
Zia’s spokesman said on Tuesday the BNP leader had no intention of softening her demands in order to secure her release from the office, where she has effectively been a prisoner since Jan 3.
“She won’t halt protests until the government agrees to hold election under a neutral administration,” Shimul Biswas said. Local media said thousands of paramilitary border guards were also being deployed to enhance security in 22 districts that have been roiled by unrest.
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