An amazing protest in Bangladesh on Saturday against the government. Organised by the opposittion Awami League, an estimated five million people formed a human chain right across Bangladesh between 3pm and 4pm yesterday. Here is a map published by Sunday's Daily Star of the path of the chain.

Using the outstanding Daily Star website as my primary source, they
previewed the protest in Saturday's edition, and in today's paper we have a front page story on the protest, and coverage of action by police and government supporters against the demonstration across the country.

The slender coverage of the protest by western media seems to be encapsulated in one widely syndicated Associated Press item. (Seen here at the San Francisco Chronicle).

The Awami League has its own quite detailed website online at www.albd.org. There's another similar protest planned for December 30, and I think that this is something worth keeping an eye on.

The Awami League is headed by Sheikh Hasina, who was prime minister of Bangladesh from 1996 to 2001. The current PM is Khaleda Zia of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). She has been prime minister from 1991-96 and since 2001. The next general elections in Bangladesh are scheduled for no later than October 2006 but supporters of the Awami League are seeking the resignation of the Zia government and for fresh elections to be held now. It is interesting to note that both the prime minister and the leader of the opposition are women.