Bangladeshis protest gas deal with general strike (AP)

DHAKA, Bangladesh - a group of citizens Sunday to a general strike for six hours in the Bangladesh capital, businesses and transportation, to demand that the Government cancels a partially disrupting gas exploration deal with the energy of the United States giant ConocoPhillips.

Video of the television station ATN Bangla showed a group of angry demonstrators, breaking a car in the streets. Security officials sealed off the Office of demonstrators in downtown Purana Paltan of Dhaka area.

Two officials of the Metropolitan Police in Dhaka said they have arrested about 50 protesters who tried to demonstrate, but that some were quickly released. Officials spoke to Associated Press, provided anonymity, because they are not allowed to speak to the media.

Schools were also closed during the strike.

Last month, the Government signed a contract for production sharing with ConocoPhillips to explore for gas in the deep waters of the Bay of Bengal. ConocoPhillips said it wants to explore two areas covering 1,992 square miles as soon as possible, and that it must conduct a seismic survey in two blocks with the depth of the water of 0.6 to 0.9 miles miles.

The Government says the agreement is required to meet the growing demand for energy for the economy in development, but the group that called the strike, the Committee National de Protection of oil, gas and mineral resources, power and ports - says that it compromises the interests of Bangladesh.

The Government accused critics of bad interpretation of certain clauses of the contract.

Bangladesh was struggling to meet a growing demand for gas.

A forecast predicts that the current reserves will be exhausted by 2014-15, and the country is confronted with up to 250 million cubic feet in shortages of gas each day. Bangladesh has proven natural gas reserves of up to 15 billion cubic feet.

Sangu gas field, operated by Santos the Australia, is solitary exploitation of the country offshore gas field. Energy of the United States giant Chevron is engaged in the fields of gas on the Mainland of Bangladesh, providing about 50% of the gas at the national gas line.

In Bangladesh, in India and Myanmar have competing claims on certain areas of the Bay of Bengal and Bangladesh asked the Organization of the United Nations to establish his rights.