15 Killed as Islamists Battle Bangladesh Cops

Hardliners demand anti-blasphemy law
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted May 6, 2013 12:03 AM CDT
15 Killed as Islamists Battle Bangladesh Police
Islamic activists block a road in Dhaka, Bangladesh.   (AP Photo/Rahul Talukder)

At least 15 people died in clashes between police and Islamic hardliners demanding that Bangladesh implement an anti-blasphemy law, authorities said. A police official, speaking on customary condition of anonymity, said eight people, including two policemen and a paramilitary soldier, were killed in clashes just outside the capital, Dhaka, and another seven died in the city itself. The protesters blocked roads in the area with burning tires and logs during more than five hours of clashes. The government in the Muslim-majority nation has rejected the hardliners' demands, saying Bangladesh is governed by secular laws. (More Bangladesh stories.)

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