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Students, police clash in BD, protest against Clinton's visit

DHAKA: Nearly 300 Bangladeshi students clashed with police during a street rally in Dhaka on Sunday to protest against U.S. President Bill Clinton's visit on March 20.

"Go back Clinton, you are an imperialist. You are not welcome in Bangladesh," the protesters chanted along with other anti-U.S. slogans, witnesses said.

Police used batons to disperse the demonstrators who overran a police barricade and tried to march to the U.S. embassy. Witnesses said about six protesters were injured and police briefly detained several demonstrators.

An Islamic group staged a similar protest in Dhaka on Thursday, police said.

Clinton's one-day visit to Bangladesh comes as part of his South Asia trip that will also take him to India and Pakistan. The Bangladesh government and business community is upbeat about the trip, saying it will improve diplomatic and economic ties.

American investment in Bangladesh was likely to rise significantly following the visit, the president of the American Chamber in Bangladesh said on Sunday.

"President Clinton may propose to Bangladesh to open up its gas sector for export during his talks with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina," Forrest Cookson told Reuters.

The other prospective sectors of American interest in Bangladesh include telecommunications and construction, Cookson said, adding U.S. investment had risen to $700 million in 2000 from $25 million three years ago after Dhaka opened up its oil and gas sector to foreign companies.

U.S. giant Unocal Corp is among the major firms exploring and producing gas in Bangladesh.

"Bangladesh may receive another $600 million worth of U.S. investment in the next one year if it further opened up its gas sector allowing exports, especially to India," Cookson said.

American investment in Bangladesh could increase to more than $2 billion in the next few years he said without elaborating.

Bangladesh has proven natural gas reserves of 10.7 trillion cubic feet.

Government-run oil and gas company Petrobangla and two foreign firms produce about 930 million cubic feet per day, supplying 75 per cent of Bangladesh's commercial energy needs.

Bangladeshi political parties, including the ruling Awami League, are against exporting natural gas for the time being. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said the government will consider such exports only when the country has proven reserves to match domestic demand for the next 50 years.

Dock workers recently protested government plans to let U.S. company Stevedoring Services of America (SSA) build a private container terminal near the Chittagong port, seeing it as a threat to their jobs.-Reuters