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Fundamentalists threaten to disrupt PM's Dhaka visit

Islamic fanatics in Bangladesh have threatened to disrupt Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's visit to Dhaka this weekend and are calling for street demonstrations and protest rallies.

Vajpayee is scheduled to arrive in the capital on Saturday on a two-day visit which Bangladeshi and Indian leaders hope will improve ties between the two neighbours.

But the biggest fundamentalist party in Bangladesh, the Jamaat-i-Islami, has announced rallies in central Dhaka to coincide with the visit.

Other Islamic radicals have threatened to blockade roads to protest against Vajpayee's recent actions against Kashmiri militants.

Bangladeshi Foreign Secretary Shafi Sami said talks between Vajpayee and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina are likely to be dominated by economic issues because major bilateral political problems have been resolved in the past three years.

Vajpayee's visit coincides with the formal launch of a direct commercial bus link between Dhaka and Calcutta -- a move that both countries say opens a new chapter in their relations.

UNI

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