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Bangladesh begins

pre-poll

administrative

shake-up

DHAKA: Bangladesh's caretaker government has ordered a sweeping shake-up of all ranks of administration to ensure upcoming elections can be free and fair, government officials said on Thursday.

Opposition parties demanded the shake-up to ensure the new general elections -- to take the place of February polls boycotted by the opposition -- are clean.

Former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia gave in to two years of protest strikes and resigned on March 30 in favour of the caretaker government to clear the way for the new poll.

Sheikh Hasina, chief of the main opposition Awami League and Khaleda's arch rival, earlier said honest voting would be impossible unless changes were made in key administrative and security positions.

"Many of those occupying crucial posts were hand-picked by Khaleda Zia's government and they must be removed," Hasina said in a statement.

The government officials said on Thursday changes would be made in hundreds of positions from National Security Intelligence (NSI) to district administrators.

The Director-General of the NSI, retired army Brigadier Aminul Huq, had already submitted his letter of resignation, newspapers said on Thursday. Huq's office refused to comment.

Nearly 50 out of 64 district administrators would be transferred, the officials said. The election commission would be reorganised under the newly-appointed Chief Election Commissioner Abu Hena.

Hena told reporters on Wednesday he would announce the schedule for elections shortly after talks with political parties, and asked for cooperation from all groups.

Khaleda's resignation allowed President Abdur Rahman Biswas to dissolve the parliament elected on February 15 and appoint the 11-member caretaker government headed by ex-chief justice Habibur Rahman.

Opposition parties boycotted the February polls, which were marred by violence and ballot box stuffing, and demanded fresh elections under a neutral authority. The new poll must be held within 90 days or by the end of June.-Reuter