Curfews Spawn Bloody Clashes in Bangladesh

Gunfire crackled through Dhaka, the Bangladesh capital, today as police battled protesters demanding the ouster of President Hussain Mohammed Ershad and an end to a state of emergency, witnesses said.

Opposition leaders said 50 people were killed and more than 1,000 others wounded Wednesday when demonstrators swarmed into the streets in defiance of curfews in Dhaka and four other cities.

The casualties were reported in written statements circulated in Dhaka that reached India through unofficial channels. Some previous opposition claims have been exaggerated, and the latest figures could not be verified.

Diplomatic sources in New Delhi said they had reports of four dead and 15 wounded in the Bangladesh capital during clashes with paramilitary forces Wednesday.

The curfews were imposed Tuesday night as part of a state of emergency Ershad declared to try to quash the growing movement against him. The decree also suspended civil rights and imposed press censorship after six weeks of often-violent protests.

Witnesses said the demonstrations continued today, but they had no word of casualties.

Kurt Hensena, a businessman based in Hong Kong, said he heard gunfire when he left his Dhaka hotel for the airport today.

“It was ‘bam-bam-bam-bam!’ and then it was quiet again. It was shotgun, rifle fire. I heard a lot of people shouting,” Hensena said as he arrived in Bangkok, Thailand. He did not give his nationality.