Schools and businesses were shuttered and transportation was disrupted in major cities across Bangladesh on Wednesday as opposition parties led a general strike against a constitutional amendment they say will allow the government to rig elections. The Ministry of Home Affairs said thousands of security personnel were deployed in the capital, Dhaka, to prevent violence, which often occurs during such protests. Police cordoned off the headquarters of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, in downtown Dhaka. Some senior party leaders, however, briefly scuffled with police when they rallied near Parliament. The party's key partner, Jamaat-e-Islami, and a number of smaller Islamic parties are backing the strike.