The United States has condemned a grenade attack on an opposition rally in Bangladesh Thursday that killed five people, including a former finance minister.
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher says the Bangladeshi government needs to act quickly to identify, arrest, and prosecute those responsible for political terrorism. The opposition Awami League has called for a 72-hour general strike across the country beginning Saturday to protest the attack on a rally in Habiganj district, northeast of the capital, Dhaka. In Dhaka Friday, police used tear gas to disperse stone-throwing demonstrators protesting the bombing. Hundreds of riot police were also deployed in Habiganj after angry opposition members smashed vehicles and attacked shops.