Bangladeshi streets patrolled amid political stalemate

DHAKA, Bangladesh -- Soldiers patrolled Bangladesh's towns and cities Sunday to end weeks of often violent opposition protests, a deployment that prompted unease over the country's democratic future.\nOpposition protests to demand electoral reforms have left at least 30 people dead over the past two months. President Iajuddin Ahmed ordered the military into the streets Saturday night, trying assuage fears that the country was sliding into chaos before a Jan. 23 vote.\nDeploying the army was viewed as risky in a South Asian nation plagued by military coups since gaining independence from Pakistan in 1971. Two presidents have been slain in coups, and there have been 19 other failed coup attempts.\nPolice indefinitely banned public gatherings or protests around the presidential palace in downtown Dhaka, and armored vehicles took up positions around the building.\nAhmed said the political protests had been disrupting public life, and he wanted ensure the upcoming elections would be held on time.\n"Millions have been affected by the protests, children were stopped from going to school, the economy was hit by transport blockades and stoppage of port activities, even courts were attacked," Ahmed said in a televised speech late Sunday.\nThe Home Ministry said the troops would "protect public life and property, keep economic activities running, recover illegal weapons and curb crimes to secure a congenial election atmosphere."\nAn alliance of 14 opposition parties, led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, had threatened to march on the presidential palace Sunday unless their demands for changes to the country's Election Commission were met. However, the alliance postponed the protest Saturday, saying it wanted to give the government more time.\nRetired Maj. Gen. Syed Muhammad Ibrahim, a political analyst, called the deployment of troops "premature."\n"It is not good for the political future of the country," he said.\nHasina said the deployment surprised her because the opposition had called off its march on the palace.\n"The situation did not call for it," she said. "It's unjust."\nThe opposition alliance wants the removal of two election commissioners it accuses of bias toward Khaleda Zia, who resigned as prime minister at the end of her term in October so an interim government could oversee the elections. Her resignation was required under Bangladesh's constitution.\nUnder the constitution, election officials cannot be fired but must resign or go on leave. The alliance also has demanded a revised voter list, saying the current one contains duplicate and fake names and favors Zia.\nThe election commission has started revising the disputed list and pushed the election back two days. But the alliance said that is not enough.\nAhmed said his advisers had made efforts to talk with the rival political parties but fresh demands kept coming up. He said the government had requested the chief election commissioner go on leave and appointed new commissioners.\n"We thought that would solve the problem, but they started new agitation," Ahmed said, adding that he would still try to resolve the impasse.\nZia's four-party coalition praised the deployment.\n"The government has met most of their demands, but when they threatened to lay siege to the president's office, he was forced to take action," coalition spokesman Mannan Bhuiyan told reporters. "We believe he took the right decision."\n--Associated Press correspondent Farid Hossain contributed to this report.