India, Feb. 25 -- Bangladesh Army chief Gen Waker-uz-Zaman on Tuesday read the riot act to political forces, saying that the country's freedom would be jeopardised if they continued their fighting and squabbling.

Zaman, who was addressing an event organised by the army in Dhaka, called for elections to be held by December and said the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus appeared to be heading towards this objective.

He denounced attacks on the army and his office and said Bangladesh's armed forces were the "only force" standing with the people.

Zaman's remarks came against the backdrop of differences within the student groups that forced former premier Sheikh Hasina from office last August and divergences between th...