Opposition protests called in Bangladesh

Paramilitary officials in Bangladesh said they were searching for an opposition leader feared kidnapped after his car was found abandoned. The disappearance of Ilias Ali, an organizer of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, prompted calls for mass demonstrations across the country, Britain's The Guardian said Sunday. Opposition leaders said Ali was the latest activist reported missing in Bangladesh and have blamed the paramilitary Rapid Action Battalion for the disappearances. The RAB, however, said it had launched a search for Ali and had no additional comment. Prime Minister Sheik Hasina said publicly last week that Ali had gone into hiding on orders from his own party. His wife, however, said it was more likely he had run afoul of the RAB. . "He told me that the government was making a list of people who were being critical about them," Tashina Rushdir said. "He wouldn't be picked up this way unless he had posed a threat to the government." The political environment in Bangladesh has become increasingly tense in recent months amid steep inflation and allegations of government corruption, The Guardian said. Growing anger has led to repeated clashes between police and protesters.