Power restored at Khaleda Zia's house

DHAKA: Bangladesh Government today restored the power supply to the office-cum-residence of Opposition leader Khaleda Zia, nearly a day after it was snapped in a bid to force her to call off her 72-hour nation-wide strike.

The electricity line to Zia's office-cum-residence at Gulshan where she has been confined since she launched a nation-wide transport blockade early January, was restored late last night after some 20 hours, but the Internet, cable television and phone connections are still down, an aide of the former Premier told media.

Authorities yesterday cut off the power supply, cable and Internet connections to Zia's office-cum-residence from where she has been spearheading a nationwide blockade of roads, railways and waterways, triggering deadly unrest that has claimed at least 45 lives so far.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief has also called a 72-hour strike from today to press for fresh elections despite the country-wide Secondary School Certificate examinations.

The snapping of power supply angered BNP supporters who overnight attacked two offices of the state-run Power Development Board (PDB) in southeastern port city of Chittagong and northwestern Sirajganj.

Zia's supporters are agitating against the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina since the first anniversary of the disputed general election, which opposition parties had boycotted on the grounds they would be rigged.