TANKS surrounded the Bangladesh presidential palace yesterday and troops took over state radio and television as rumours of a coup attempt spread after the sacking of the army chief.
The government said it had deployed troops around the palace of President Abdur Rahman Biswas to maintain order, but it was not clear whether they were supporting the deposed army chief, Lieut Gen Abu Salch Mohammad Nasim, or the government.
In an emergency address to the population of 120 million, President Biswas appealed for calm and for people to defend Bangladesh's fragile democracy and its independence.
All the armed forces in the country - which has seen nearly 20 coups or attempted coups since independence in 1971 - were on top alert. Unconfirmed reports spoke of fighting with casualties in a garrison at Bogra, northern Bangladesh, but the capital was reported calm.
Thousands of people crowded around the presidential palace as the tanks moved into place. But many people also travelled home, causing traffic jams and a rush on food shops.
The president accused Lieut Gen Nasim of leading a revolt and ordering his supporters to march on Dhaka, after the president ordered two top officers to retire at the weekend. He said the general's actions were tantamount to a "revolt".
The whereabouts of Lieut Glen Nasim, who ordered two senior officers plus a colonel and a brigadier removed from office yesterday, was unknown after the troops moved around the palace.
"It is my earnest appeal to all including the armed forces and the auxiliary forces, to rise above party or self interest," the president said in his address.
"It is my firm belief that you will all rise and defend democracy and the sovereignty of the nation."
The head of the caretaker government, Mr Mohammad, Habibur Rahman, appealed to the army in a televised address yesterday not to become involved in confrontation that could lead to bloodshed.
"The armed forces have always stood by the people... they should not get involved in any confrontation and again cause the soil of our very unfortunate Bangladesh to be . . . stigmatised with the blood of our brothers," he said.
The armed forces, of just over 100,000 men in uniform, ruled Bangladesh directly or indirectly between 1975 and 1990, but took a back seat after democracy was restored in 1991. Lieut Gen Nasim was the first army chief to be sacked since independence.
The crisis emerged amid accusations of political interference in the armed forces ahead of a general election on June 12th, when 2,569 candidates will contest 300 parliamentary seats.
President Biswas held a crisis meeting with Lieut Gen Nasim and Mr Rahman, before announcing the sacking, sources said.
Lieut Gen Nasim had earlier ordered Maj Gen Abdul Matin, director general of Defence Forces Intelligence, and Maj Gen Sabed Ali Bhuiyan, principal staff officer to former prime minister, Mr Khaleda Zia, be assigned to non specific duties".
At the weekend, the president ordered Maj Gen G.H. Morshed Khan, the Bogra district commander, and Brig Miran Hamidur Rahman, deputy director of the paramilitary Bangladesh Rifles, to retire.
Bangladesh's first government under Awami League leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was toppled in August 1975 by a military coup. The coup leader Col Abu Taher, was hanged for treason after being toppled by Maj Gen Ziaur Rahman, who was in turn assassinated after several coup attempts.
Ms Khaleda Zia took charge of the first democratically elected government in 1991. But she stood down in March after a two year opposition campaign. Retired chief justice, Mr Rahman, took charge of a neutral caretaker government on March 30th to organise elections set for June 12th.
Meanwhile, India was said to be planning to tighten security at its frontier with Bangladesh, military sources in New Delhi said.
"Things are not very clear now, but if military hostilities flare up in Bangladesh then we could expect refugees in thousands to pour into India," said a border security force official.