Bangladesh cabinet quits to allow all-party govt for polls

The development came as a nationwide 84-hour general strike enforced by BNP and its rightwing allies including fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami entered its second day.

The violent shutdown, which overnight claimed two more lives, is aimed to mount pressure on the government to accept the opposition's demand for constituting a non-party caretaker government led by an “acceptable” figure for election oversight.

The strike was enforced following two back-to-back 60-hour shutdowns since October 27 on the same issue.

This will be the third prolonged strike in two weeks.