Bangladesh law enforcement agencies have executed a far-reaching campaign of arrests, with nearly 8,000 opposition figures detained in a nationwide crackdown following the dispersal of a significant rally in the capital a week ago. These extensive detentions are occurring in the lead-up to the general election scheduled for January.
The prominent opposition party, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and its coalition partners have been organizing massive rallies in recent months, demanding that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina relinquish power and permit a neutral administration to oversee the election.
The United States has imposed sanctions on several high-ranking police officials in Bangladesh due to allegations of widespread human rights violations. In the aftermath of a “grand rally” held in central Dhaka, where more than 100,000 opposition supporters gathered last Saturday, a clash resulted in the death of a police officer.
Subsequent to this incident, law enforcement authorities have initiated a broad crackdown on the BNP, resulting in the arrests of thousands of activists. At least 162 of the party’s top leaders have been accused of involvement in the officer’s killing.
The widely-circulated and highly respected newspaper, Prothom Alo, reported that approximately 7,835 individuals had been taken into custody, relying on information from its reporters across the nation. National police spokesman Abir Siddique Shuvra could not provide an exact tally of detentions but confirmed that those arrested were facing criminal charges and warrants.
Shuvra stated, “It is impossible to give an exact figure. Police are doing our regular work.”
Previously, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police disclosed that over 2,100 people had been arrested on charges related to violence since the preceding Saturday.
Among those detained, the BNP asserts that the list includes its top official in Bangladesh, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, and the party’s second-ranking figure, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury.
On Sunday, Bangladesh’s Rapid Action Battalion apprehended BNP vice president Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, a former home minister, and air force chief.
By AFP
