The president of Bangladesh postponed his country's upcoming elections on Thursday, hours after declaring a state of emergency and stepping down as interim leader of Bangladesh's caretaker government.

President Iajuddin Ahmed said in a televised speech that the election, which had been scheduled for Jan. 22, would be delayed, but did not give a new date.

Bangladesh army troops arrive at Dhaka stadium after President Iajuddin Ahmed declared a state emergency on Thursday following weeks of violent protests.
(Pavel Rahman/Associated Press)

"It's not possible to hold the elections on schedule," he said.

"We need a flawless voter list to ensure that the elections are free, fair and credible."

The country has been paralyzed by violent protests, strikes and barricades, all orchestrated by an alliance of political parties that accuse Ahmed of rigging the election.

A new voter list was among the key demands of the 19-party alliance, which says there are currently many false names on the list.

The alliance also demanded Ahmed's removal as head of the caretaker government, which is overseeing the election.

"I've decided to step down as the chief adviser of the caretaker government and I will, in a couple of days, appoint a new interim leader to hold an election in which all parties will be able to participate," Ahmed said Thursday.

He will stay on as president, an interim role that is largely ceremonial. One of his advisers, Fazlul Haque, will serve as temporary head of the caretaker government until a new one is chosen.

Curfew in place as violence rages

Earlier Thursday, Ahmed issue a state of emergency, which suspends the fundamental rights of citizens.

The country's eight private television stations were told by the information ministry to suspend news programming and relay bulletins from state-run television, according to the stations' broadcasts.

A nightly curfew, in force from 11 p.m. until dawn, was imposed for the capital of Dhaka, and more than 60 other cities and towns, state-run TV reported. 

Protests in the country have already led to the deaths of dozens and injured hundreds. Troops have been deployed to curb the violence.

The state of emergency is raising concern in a country with a history of military rule. Two presidents had been slain and 19 other coup attempts failed in Bangladesh since it gained independence from Pakistan in 1971.

Protests orchestrated by former prime minister

The alliance at the heart of the protest movement is headed by former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who accuses Ahmed's interim government of favouring her arch rival, former prime minister Khaleda Zia.

The alliance's claims that voter list is flawed are backed by the U.S.-based National Democratic Institute. It reports that 10 million names on the list are errors or duplications — representing 13 per cent of the country's 93 million voters.

Election observers with the United Nations and the European Union suspended their work in Bangladesh, citing lack of legitimacy of the balloting.

The EU on Thursday recalled election observers from the country, while the UN suspended all technical support for Bangladesh's polls.

"The political crisis in Bangladesh has severely jeopardized the legitimacy of the electoral process," UN spokeswoman Michele Montas said Wednesday in New York.