Ministers of the ruling Awami League-led government in Bangladesh held rallies across the capital Dhaka demanding the arrest of former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia for her association with an Islamist party that is accused of war crimes.
The ministers addressed rallies in the city even as a 48-hour general strike call was given by opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) earlier in the day.
Bangladesh Food Minister, Mohammad Kamrul Islam, appealed to the general public to come out in protest against Zia.
"BNP head Begum Khaleda Zia is responsible for every crime in the country. I appeal to you all to come in protest against her," said Islam.
Before its creation as an independent state, Bangladesh was a part of Pakistan at the end of British rule in 1947, but broke away in 1971 after a war between Bengali-speaking nationalists, backed by India and Pakistani forces.
About three million people were killed, according to official figures, and thousands of women were raped.
Bangladesh's Minister for Disaster Management and Relief, Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, was also amongst the many protestors. He called for Zia's arrest.
"It is high time that Khaleda Zia is arrested. The government has no other option because it is the demand of the people this time. She is drenched in blood from head to toe. Workers, women and children, no one was spared from her," he said.
As per reports, Zia, was released on January 19 after a house arrest of 16 days, amid renewed violence over last year's disputed polls.
The death toll due to violence reached 27 in Bangladesh's deepening political crisis since last year's elections.
The violence has worsened steadily since January 5, when protests erupted over last year's election, which was boycotted by the BNP.
Bangladesh's government ruled out military deployment to establish order after the latest violence surrounding a standoff between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Zia, leader of the opposition BNP.
Khaleda has demanded that Hasina give up her post, with a new vote to be held under a neutral administration. The prime minister has rejected these demands and her government has tightened its grip by arresting key opposition leaders and clamping down on media.
Human rights groups have expressed concern over the violence and urged those involved in the conflict to exercise restraint, with a statement from United Nations human rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani also calling for "prompt, impartial and effective" investigation of all killings.
Hasina and Khaleda, both related to former national leaders, have nursed a long and bitter rivalry, and have dominated politics in Bangladesh for more than two decades.
