Protesters Clash In Bangladesh With Supporters Of Government

Opposition protesters clashed with pro-government supporters and police across Bangladesh on Sunday, leaving one activist dead and injuring more than 250 people.

Violence was reported in more than a dozen cities and towns. In Dhaka, activists for and against the government fought one another with rifles, pistols and crude bombs. Many protesters were injured when police used tear gas and clubs to disperse the rival groups.

Several thousand policemen fanned out across the country.

Protesters squatted on railroad tracks and highways for most of the day, forcing the cancellation of many trains, officials said.

The protesters claim the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is corrupt and inefficient and accuse it of harassing political rivals. They were also protesting the government’s decision last month to raise the price of gasoline by 61 percent.