Dhaka mutiny fire rages on; Hasina warns of tough action .............

The Dhaka mutiny is far from over. There are now reports that the rebellion in Bangladesh's border security force is spreading to other parts of the country.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called an emergency cabinet meeting on the crisis and addressed the nation.

Sheikh Hasina said, "We have formed a high-powered committee. It will look into BDR demands."

She said that the BDR should immediately surrender and return weapons to the barracks otherwise in the interest of people, the government will be compelled to take tough action.

Over 50 people, mostly officers of the Bangladesh Rifles, are believed to have been killed in Wednesday's uprising.

Local TV channels showed bodies being taken out of a marshy area within the BDR headquarter compound. At least five bodies were found in Army uniform but without name badges or rank studs.

Others say the number of bodies is as much as 15. There is still no news of Director General of the Bangladesh Rifles, Shakeel Ahmed.

Nearly 50 people are believed to have been killed when paramilitary troops in Bangladesh fought among themselves during a mutiny in their headquarters in Dhaka.

The information has been given by Bangladesh Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Mohammad Islam.

The Mutiny was because of disputes over pay and perks. Many of the dead are believed to be senior officers of the Bangladesh Rifles.

Officials said 50 stranded women and children were evacuated from the headquarters after the rebels began laying down their arms. No gunfire had been heard in the early hours of Thursday.

The mutiny erupted on Wednesday when soldiers met officers to discuss a row over pay and the command structure.

The soldiers have accepted an offer of amnesty from the government. But the incident underscores the challenges facing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Hasina won elections in December that returned the country to democracy after nearly two years of army-backed emergency rule.