Hasina blasts Khaleda Zia over violence

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has criticised Opposition Leader Khaleda Zia for the ongoing nationwide transport blockade over the issue of caretaker government during parliamentary polls and the casualties caused due to it.

"How many more corpses Khaleda Zia would need? How many more killings will give her peace?" bdnews24.com quoted Hasina as saying Wednesday.

Hasina blamed Zia for the casualties during the Opposition's blockade.

"It is nothing for her to kill people. She enjoys spilling human blood," she said.

The protests are being led by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and 17 other opposition parties.

Hasina launched her scathing attack at her Awami League party's central working committee meeting Wednesday.

She also called on the people to build up resistance against those going about killing people in the guise of a political movement.

The opposition wants the prime minister to transfer power to a neutral caretaker government to oversee polls - the practice adopted in previous votes. But Hasina scrapped the arrangement in 2011.

Meanwhile, at least three people were killed in the country's Gaibandha district Wednesday when their train was derailed by opposition activists, reported BBC citing railway officials.

Three coaches and the engine of the express train came off the tracks, trapping dozens of passengers, police and railway spokesmen said.