Bangladesh's main opposition leader and more than 100 other top party members were charged on Sunday with the murder of a policeman killed in mass demonstrations ahead of upcoming elections.

Those charged make up the bulk of the opposition leadership — potentially facing the death penalty if found guilty — and could threaten to derail general elections due within three months.

"At least 164 Bangladesh Nationalist Party including Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir were accused of murdering the police officer," police official Salahuddin Mia said, adding that charges had been filed against them.

Alamgir, 75, the BNP's secretary-general, has led the party since BNP chairwoman and two-time former premier Khaleda Zia was arrested and jailed, and her son went into exile in Britain.

The resurgent opposition has been mounting protests against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for months, despite ailing leader Zia being effectively under house arrest since her release from prison after a conviction on corruption charges.

Saturday's protests by BNP and the largest Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami, were among the biggest this year, with more than 100,000 supporters of the two major opposition parties demanding Hasina step down to allow a free and fair vote under a neutral government.

Dhaka police commissioner Habibur Rahman had earlier said Alamgir had been "detained for interrogation" for Saturday's violence in which a police officer and a protester were killed.

Police on Saturday said the officer had been hacked to death and accused BNP activists of the killing.

WITH AFP