Agencies
 
Dhaka, Feb 26: As the mutiny by the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) guards spread to other parts of the country, PM Sheikh Hasina warned mutinous troops to lay down their arms or face "tough action".

"Just give up your arms and return to barracks right now," Sheikh Hasina said in a nationally televised address.

"Otherwise I will take any action for the greater interest of the nation," she said.

"Don't take the suicidal route. Don't compel me to take tough action. We are aware of your problems. Please help us," she warned, appealing to the members of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) not to shoot their own "brothers."

As she spoke, the mutineers set free more than a dozen women held hostage at their Dhaka headquarters since their revolt began on Wednesday morning.

"Keep the peace and stay patient for the sake of the nation. I urge everyone to be patient. I seek cooperation of all," said Hasina, who was facing her biggest test since coming to power less than two months ago in a landslide election victory that ended two years of army-backed rule.

Earlier in the day, fresh gunfire erupted at a paramilitary camp in the Bangladesh capital, police said, as troops took to streets in towns across the country a day after 50 people were killed during a mutiny.

The revolt by some members of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) force over a pay dispute spread outside Dhaka after officials earlier said it was being brought under control following an amnesty offer from the government.

Mobile phone services were ordered cut by the government in order to stem rumours and misinformation, one cellphone operator said.

"Firing started again at the BDR complex in the afternoon although we were expecting the revolt... to end soon," a police officer said.

The main duty of the mutinous BDR is guarding the country's borders, but often they back up the army and police in meeting other defence and security requirements.

"The prime minister has urged all people to remain calm and not to indulge in violence," said Mohiuddin Khan Alaamgir, one of the advisers to Hasina who along with ministers attended an emergency meeting with her.

Earlier officials said nearly 50 people died in Wednesday fighting at the BDR Dhaka headquarters, a blow to hopes Hasina's government, which took office only last month, could bring stability that would attract investors and boost development.

Bangladesh, home to more than 140 million people, has had several military coups since independence in 1971, but this week's mutinies do not appear politically motivated.

Traditionally the BDR are commanded by officers from the army. Demands by some BDR troops to draw commanders from their own ranks, and for better pay and benefits, sparked the shooting among BDR members on Wednesday, officials said.

Witnesses said police recovered the bodies of six BDR officers near the Dhaka headquarters on Thursday. On Wednesday police found two officers dead.

Shooting incidents involving BDR troops broke out in more than a dozen towns, local police officials told reporters.

A witness in Sylhet in the northeast said BDR troops were "coming on the street holding up guns and shooting".

BDR members barricaded a highway linking two districts in the southern region while they took over camps from army commanders at several places, local officials said.

There were no immediate reports of casualties in the actions.

Turmoil

The turmoil underscores the challenges facing Prime Minister Hasina, who won parliamentary elections in December that returned Bangladesh to democracy after nearly two years of army-backed emergency rule.

The incidents are a blow to her efforts to attract foreign investment and convince foreign aid donors that Bangladesh, where around 40 percent of the populace is below the poverty line, is on a path to stability.

Analysts said the mutinies also pose a major challenge for Hasina in keeping together the powerful defence forces — which have often intervened in the country's politics — and tackle their grievances without risking further discord.

"This poses a huge challenge for the prime minister and her government, who need to be tactful in trying to resolve it," said retired Major General Azizur Rahman, a former BDR chief.

As worried residents scrambled for news, authorities ordered mobile services cut.

"Mobile networks have been closed...at the instruction of Bangladesh Telecoms Regulatory Commission," said Syed Talat Kamal, chief information officer of Grameenphone.