Bangladesh President Steps Down Amid Chaos

Bangladesh President Iajuddin Ahmed on Thursday stepped down as the country's interim leader soon after declaring a state of emergency, news reports said.

Ahmed's departure and the emergency declaration came after weeks of violent street protests and blockades by a political alliance which have cast doubt on whether general elections scheduled for Jan. 22 will go ahead as planned.

Ahmed will continue as the country's figurehead president, according to state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) and private United News of Bangladesh news agencies.

Indefinite night curfew has been imposed for capital Dhaka and more than 60 other cities and towns from late Thursday night, state-run TV station reported.

The curfew will remain in force each night for six hours starting from 11 p.m. local time until dawn, the station reported quoting an announcement from the president's office.

United Nations and European Union election observers in Bangladesh have suspended their activities saying the tumultuous political climate made it impossible to have a legitimate vote later this month.

The European Union called back its election observers from the country Thursday.

"It has become clear that we cannot pursue the election observation mission as we had hoped," EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said in Brussels.

The U.N., meanwhile, suspended all technical support for Bangladesh's polls, including its International Coordination Office
in Dhaka, U.N. spokeswoman Michele Montas said Wednesday at the U.N. headquarters in New York.

"The political crisis in Bangladesh has severely jeopardized the legitimacy of the electoral process," she said.

The United Nations was deeply concerned by the deteriorating situation and urged all parties to refrain from violence.

"It is hoped that the army will continue to play a neutral role, and that those responsible for enforcing the law act with restraint and respect for human rights," Montas said.

A key political alliance on Wednesday announced a series of new street protests to demand national elections be postponed, as 60,000 troops fanned out across Bangladesh.

Sheikh Hasina, leader of a 19-party alliance, told a huge rally in the heart of Dhaka Wednesday that supporters would start nonstop demonstrations around the presidential palace Sunday. She also threatened a nationwide blockade Jan. 14-15 and another Jan. 17-18 to force the alliance's demands.

Hasina accused the country's interim President Iajuddin Ahmed of bias toward former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, Hasina's archrival.

The latest protest plans came after a three-day nationwide transport blockade ended Tuesday that saw violent clashes between police and demonstrators erupt.

The alliance has claimed that the voters list for the election has flaws, including fake names. The group wants the poll delayed until a problem-free list is available.

The alliance's other demands include the use of transparent ballot boxes and the removal of about 345 field-level election
officials allegedly biased toward Zia.