3 dead, scores hurt in Bangladesh strike

Police and backers of Bangladesh's ruling party clashed Sunday with opposition supporters, leaving at least three people dead and scores injured in different parts of the country as opposition parties try to enforce a nationwide general strike, ABC News reported on Sunday. The protest is aimed at forcing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to quit and form a caretaker government made up of people from outside political parties to oversee an election due by early next year. The shutdown is to continue until Tuesday night. One activist of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party died in southwestern district of Faridpur after security officials opened fire on stone-throwing protesters, local police official Abul Kalam said. He said the police were forced to open fire after opposition activists attacked them in the area, which is 64 kilometers (40 miles) southwest of the capital, Dhaka. Kalam said at least six others were hurt.