Dhaka: At least nine people died and about 500 were wounded in political riots in Bangladesh on Saturday after the man due to take over as interim leader withdrew just hours before taking the oath.
Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia's five-year mandate ended on Friday. Former Supreme Court chief justice K M Hasan was to have been sworn in as caretaker leader today, ahead of a national election due in January.
A presidential spokesman said during the night that Hasan was too ill to take the oath. Hasan had told the president he was unable to become caretaker leader, he said.
In a press statement, Hasan said he had decided to withdraw because major political parties had failed to agree on his appointment.
''I was prepared to serve on national interest, but the level of mistrust between the political parties has made my position untenable,'' the statement said.
''It is best I should stand aside rather than be a hurdle to the political process.''
The opposition, citing Hasan's past association with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, had accused him of being biased in favour of the government and unsuitable to oversee the election. Following the violence, Bangladesh President Iajuddin Ahmed summoned leaders of the main political parties to discuss the crisis.
Abdul Jalil, general secretary of the opposition Awami League, said the president had told him and BNP secretary-general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan that Hasan had declined to take over as head of the caretaker administration.
Jalil said the president would nominate an alternative caretaker leader by tomorrow evening when Khaleda would hand over the reins of power.
Street battles broke out between rival political activists on Friday evening after Khaleda made her farewell address on state TV, calling for peace once she stepped down.
At least six people had been killed and more than 200 injured in mayhem on Friday that went on past midnight.
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Protesters blocked highways, burned vehicles, and attacked offices of Khaleda's BNP and the homes of some ministers, police and witnesses said.
Worst violence in decades
Political analysts said the protests over the caretaker authority had been the "most fierce since a people's uprising in 1990" that toppled military president, Hossain Mohammad Ershad. That uprising was led jointly by Khaleda and Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina. They have since remained foes.
Nine more people were killed on Saturday, five in Dhaka, two in eastern Narsingdi, one each in the southern port city of Chittagong and northern Kurigram, taking the death toll in two days to 15, police and hospitals said.
Nearly 150 injured were taken to hospital on Saturday and about 350 were admitted elsewhere in the country. Witnesses said police fired rubber bullets and tear gas trying to disperse the fighters, who included members of the opposition Awami League, the BNP and BNP ally Jamaat-e-Islami.
Several policemen were hurt by stones and brickbats hurled by the rioters, who damaged dozens of vehicles in the capital. In the southern coastal district of Barisal, the home of former President Abdur Rahman Biswas, a BNP member, was set on fire on Saturday.
"We are facing a very volatile and unpredictable situation," one police officer said. "The uncertainties are lingering and tension deepening."
The constitution allows the president to be in charge of government for 15 days or ask the outgoing prime minister to continue for the same period. A caretaker head of government has to take over after that.
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