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Bangladesh was paralyzed by 36-hour nonstop countrywide shutdown called by the country's opposition pressing the government for reforms of electoral system and the Election Commission (EC) for holding a clean general election due next year.

Supporters of the 14-party combine led by main opposition Awami League (AL) clashed with police in some places of the country's capital Dhaka and elsewhere, the strike Tuesday by and large was peaceful as there was no major disturbances reported yet from anywhere in the country.

Schools, colleges, private offices, shopping centers except kitchen markets were shut. Share markets both in Dhaka and Chittagong were closed. Banks were open but there were not transactions.

The government posted around 10,000 police and para-military border troops in the capital to maintain peace.

All long distance bus services and state-run Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation buses stayed indoor. Only a few private buses were in the streets. The government offices worked with thin attendance.

Bangladesh's major seaport in southeastern Chittagong did not operate. Loading and unloading were closed, as there was no traffic movement. Business leaders claim a day's shutdown cost the country US$60 million of economic and production losses.

The 14-party combine has demanded reform in the caretaker government system, which supervises the country's general elections.

The opposition parties said the man, who supposed to head the non-partisan caretaker government, is a ruling party Bangladesh Nationalist Party supporter and the Election Commission is also run by the BNP men. As such no election under them would be free and fair.

They said unless there are reforms they will not go to the polls in January next year and will not allow the government to hold the election. The ruling party BNP leaders are also inviting the opposition to sit around table and discuss the reforms. But the opposition leaders said they cannot sit with the government committee, which includes a member of Jamaat-e-Islami party, a key partner of the four-party alliance government.

The opposition leaders alleged Jamaat cooperated with the Pakistani occupation forces during the country's liberation war in1971.

Tuesday's 36-hour general strike starting at 6 am in the morning followed a violent protest on Sunday under the Dhaka Siegeprogram, which turned the situation in the capital and nearby areas almost a war field as police and paramilitary border guards fought with thousands of workers and leaders of the 14-party combine.

(Xinhua News Agency June 14, 2006)