Dhaka: Bangladesh Government yesterday  (Nov 12, 2006)ordered deployment of the army as violence escalated during a nationwide transport strike called by the Opposition to press for electoral reforms in the run up to parliamentary polls.

The caretaker government headed by President Iajuddin Ahmed ordered deployment of armed forces to aid the civil administration and asked chiefs of districts to depute
necessary number of magistrates to guide the military.

Protestors torched a train and attacked buses during an indefinite transport blockade called by Awami League-led 14-party alliance to step up pressure for the resignation of
Chief Election Commissioner M A Aziz and his deputies accusing them of being biased.

The decision to deploy armed forces was taken at a high-level emergency meeting of the country's caretaker Government.

The President's Information Adviser Mahbubul Alam said the Interim Government was reviewing 'all options' to solve the existing political crisis but reconciliation of parties
was a must to overcome it.

"We are reviewing all options to overcome the problem but this is not a normal situation and 12 days (of the interim administration) is not sufficient to solve it," he told a
briefing at the Bangabhaban (Presidential Palace) after a two-hour 'informal meeting' of the advisers with Iajuddin Ahmed.

Dhaka was virtually cut off from the rest of the country with inter-district buses and ferries not operating while trains were stopped by protestors at various points.

Alam said the political parties had the biggest stake in the problem and a reconciliation among them was crucial as common people appeared to be the worst sufferers of the
crisis.

He said the council of advisers would meet again today (Nov 13,2006) to continue the discussion to find a solution to the crisis towards paving the way for a credible and
participatory election.

Asked if the meeting took any stance, in principle, on the resignation of Aziz, Alam indicated the issue largely dominated the discussions as we talked in detail the existing
situation and options to overcome the problem.

"But it (Chief Election Commissioner issue) is a verydelicate constitutional matter. Yet we are determined to find a solution," Alam said.

Replying to a question on deployment of armed forces, Alam said the issue was not discussed in the meeting but the authorities can call out army in aid of the civil
administration in the interest of safeguarding the life and property of the people.

To another question, he said the 14-party combine's countrywide siege made the interim government extremely concerned as it largely disrupted the supply lines resulting  hike in prices of food and other essentials exposing the poor to acute sufferings.

AL chief Sheikh Hasina Wajed had called for peaceful protests and said the action would be called off once President Ahmed's administration proved its neutrality by sacking Aziz who has refused to step down.

Meanwhile, US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher held talks with President Ahmed and said the Election Commission must win the confidence of the people and has to show that it was not biased or working under any pressure.