At least five people were killed and 100 injured in Bangladesh in pre-election political violence which has already left more than 60 dead, it was reported Sunday.
Four activists of the Awami League, led by former prime minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed, were killed in the western Pabna and eastern Chandpur districts over the past two days, the Ittefaq newspaper and other dailies reported.
Three supporters died in clashes with rival Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) activists while the other was suspected to have been murdered by an outlawed Marxist group, the reports said.
The fifth, a BNP activist, was shot dead Sunday in the western Kushtia district, police said.
"A group of unidentified gunmen shot him and fled," a police officer told AFP by telephone.
Some 65 people have been killed since a caretaker government took over from Sheikh Hasina on July 15 to organize free elections.
Several clashes between rival activists as well as intra-party violence were reported last week after the parties announced their election candidates.
The government has ordered the surrender of an estimated 250,000 illegal weapons and several hundred licensed weapons in a bid to stem the violence before the October 1 election.
Bangladesh police chief Nurul Huda Sunday displayed nearly 700 seized weapons and 1,407 seized explosives to the press.
"I am quite satisfied with our drive to seize weapons and 100 percent sure of peaceful elections," he said.
"Recovering weapons is our prime duty at any time and it is more so now because of the elections," he added.
"The operation is being further geared up and we are also aiming to ensure that unseized guns cannot be used during the polls."
The weapons displayed included guns made in Italy, America and Germany, but Dhaka police chief Anwarul Iqbal said most came from "neighbouring countries". Police sources said the main sources of weapons were India and Myanmar.
Iqbal said the police had also clamped down on illegal motorbikes which were being used by people engaged in violent or terrorist activity.
"We have been very strict about use of motorbikes as they are mainly used in terrorist activities and now the number on the streets has come down," he said.
"I think the voters should not vote for those involved in terrorist activities," he added, but refused to reveal any specific names.
On Saturday police unearthed a weapons making factory in the forested hills of southeastern Chittagong and arrested one person, police said.
The government said nearly 80,000 people have been arrested since July, half of whom were on the police's wanted list.
Caretaker government chief Latifur Rahman this week refuted criticism about the violence, saying it was the parties who were responsible for controlling their supporters -- DHAKA (AFP)
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