Ten charged with Bangladesh murder

The attack on Mr Kibria sparked off protests

The police in Bangladesh have charged ten people, including a leader of the governing coalition, with the killing of a prominent opposition politician.

Awami League member and former finance minister Shah AMS Kibria was killed in a grenade attack on a political rally in north-eastern Bangladesh in January.

Four other opposition politicians were killed the blast in Laskarpur, Habiganj District.

The Awami League blames the government for the attack - a charge it denies.

Eight of the accused are linked to the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the police said.

Cover up

Mr Kibria's widow has denounced the charges, alleging they are part of a cover up to protect the real culprits.

She has said that the family wants an investigation by a foreign organisation, such as the American Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The Bangladesh home minister has said that the government had invited FBI to investigate the murders and was waiting for a response.

Mr Kibria died in hospital of injuries he received when the grenade was thrown just after he delivered a speech.

The incident sparked off nationwide protests and riots.

Last August, Awami League chief, Sheikh Hasina, survived a grenade attack on a rally in the capital, Dhaka, in which 22 people were killed.

Ivy Rahman, who headed the League's women's wing, was killed in that attack.