DHAKA (Reuters) – Bangladesh police clashed with opposition party supporters in the capital city of Dhaka as they protested for the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday. The demonstrators blocked major roads by throwing stones, prompting the police to respond with rubber bullets and tear gas.
The main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has experienced internal disarray since its leader, Khaleda Zia, was imprisoned in 2018 on corruption charges. In recent months, the BNP has organized larger protest rallies, including one on Friday, which garnered support from tens of thousands of individuals voicing their frustrations over the rising cost of living.
In addition to seeking the Prime Minister’s resignation, the BNP has demanded that the next scheduled election in January 2024 be held under a neutral caretaker government—a demand that Hasina’s administration has rejected.
According to the police and media reports, BNP activists set fire to buses and detonated petrol bombs during the clashes. Faruq Ahmed, a spokesman for the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, stated, “Our force was attacked without any reason. They were only trying to ease the traffic flow. We had to fire tear gas and rubber bullets to control the situation.”
The BNP claimed that dozens of their supporters were injured, while the police reported that at least 20 officers were hurt in the clashes. Authorities arrested at least 90 individuals, including two senior BNP leaders who were later released.
BNP leader Abdul Moyeen Khan criticized the police action as an “injustice.” He told Reuters, “Today’s rampant action… only confirmed the autocratic nature of the ruling regime and fully exposes their motives to remain in power through a rigged election.” Khan alleged that more than 100 demonstrators had been arrested and many had been severely beaten, suggesting that the police were infringing on people’s “fundamental right of association.”
International criticism has been directed at the government for its crackdown on anti-government protests. In May, the United States announced restrictions on visas for Bangladeshis that undermine the country’s democratic process.
Concerns regarding vote-rigging and suppression of the opposition have arisen following elections in 2014 and 2018. The Hasina government, however, has denied these allegations. Hasina, who has maintained tight control since assuming power in 2009, has faced accusations of authoritarianism, human rights violations, suppression of free speech, and the imprisonment of critics such as her arch rival, former premier Khaleda Zia, who has been under house arrest in Dhaka due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reporting by Ruma Paul; Editing by Giles Elgood
Credit: The Star : News Feed
