- By Anbarasan Ethirajan
- BBC News
Police have set up barricades in the capital to contain the unrest
Weeks of rising political tension have erupted into protests and bloodshed in Bangladesh, leaving the country on edge ahead of general elections in January.
Bangladesh’s resurgent main opposition nationalist party (BNP) has stepped up protests calling for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to step down.
The BNP and its allies want a neutral caretaker government ahead of the general election, arguing that free and fair elections are not possible under Ms Hasina. The Awami League-led government has rejected this demand.
The BNP rally in the capital Dhaka drew tens of thousands of people – one of the largest gatherings seen there in a decade.
But things soon turned violent.
Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas, while opposition supporters threw stones and bricks. Some streets in the capital were littered with explosive grenades, tear gas and broken glass.
Both sides blame each other for starting the violence.
Some structures were set on fire during the protests
“Opposition supporters attacked police officers, journalists, hospitals, ambulances and the homes of the chief justice and other judges, creating chaos,” Foreign Minister A.K. told the BBC. Abdul Momen.
The BNP said it was the other way around.
“It was a peaceful and non-violent rally, but the government was confused by the massive turnout. So, they decided to break up the meeting,” senior party leader Amir Khasru Mahmood Chowdhury told the BBC.
“The gathering was attacked from two sides. It looked like a war zone. So, we had to stop our public meeting in the middle.”
The ruling Awami League rejects accusations that its supporters provoked opposition activists who took part in the rally.
A three-day nationwide blockade called by the BNP to protest the police crackdown began on Tuesday.
Protesters set fire to buses and clashed with security forces at several places. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse them. Two opposition activists were killed in clashes with police on Tuesday. Most vehicles have stayed off the roads for fear of violence.
Political unrest is not uncommon in Bangladesh. Over the years, the parties have taken to the streets to press their demands, resulting in shutdowns, violence and loss of life.
But in recent years the political divide has widened and bitterness has grown, with the Awami League in the middle of its second decade in power and seeking a fourth consecutive five-year term. The two main parties are in no mood for compromise and the chances of dialogue before the vote seem slim.
He is now 78 and under house arrest.
Ms Hasina, 76, and Ms Zia, who have dominated Bangladeshi politics for more than three decades, are heirs to political dynasties.
Both are fierce rivals – locally described as the ‘fighting Begums’. Begum refers to a Muslim woman of high rank.
Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir is among the arrested opposition leaders
Ms Hasina came to power for a second time in January 2009 and her party has since won two more elections, although there have been allegations of widespread fraud.
The political turmoil ahead of the election comes at a time when the country is facing economic hardship, with most voters struggling to cope with the escalating cost of living, especially rising food prices. Inflation was around 9.6% in September.
The country’s foreign exchange reserves have also fallen from a record $48bn (£39.49bn) in August 2021 to around $20bn now – not even enough for three months of imports.
Bangladesh was forced to turn to the International Monetary Fund earlier this year for help.
While large opposition rallies in Bangladesh are not unusual, analysts say they attract particularly large crowds because of widespread discontent over rising food costs.
“The economy is on the brink of disaster and people are suffering. That’s why hundreds of thousands of people are joining our protests despite the Awami League’s efforts to stop them by canceling transport, making arrests and intimidation,” Mr Chowdhury said. BBC.
However, Ms Hasina, the daughter of the country’s founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, points to the country’s sustained economic growth over the past 15 years under her rule.
Suppression of dissent
The arrest of Mr Alamgir, along with hundreds of opposition supporters, after the rally has drawn criticism from rights groups.
“The intensified crackdown on opposition party leaders and protesters over the weekend signals an attempt to crack down on dissent in Bangladesh ahead of general elections in January.” international Amnesty he said.
The government has already been accused of human rights violations on a large scale.
BNP supporters, seen here in Dhaka, want Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign
The BNP claims that hundreds of its supporters have been the victims of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings carried out by security forces, some of whom have been sanctioned by the US for their actions.
The Bangladeshi government has vehemently denied the allegations of abuses and killings – but also severely restricts visits by foreign journalists who want to investigate the allegations.
“Certainly, there is a climate of fear, especially when dissent is expressed in any kind of digital forum, because the government is using the draconian digital security law [DSA] to imprison people,” Shireen Huq, a prominent women’s rights activist, told the BBC.
Rights groups say the act has been used to silence critics and stifle free expression. They say more than a thousand court cases have been filed against journalists, politicians and activists since it came into force in 2018.
Sheikh Hasina says she will not resign
After widespread opposition, including from the UN, the government recently replaced the DSA with a new cyber security law. But activists say the new law still maintains repressive measures.
Ms Huq says she has no confidence the government will hold a free and fair poll in January.
Foreign Minister Momen rejects such calls.
“There is no history in any country that the current government will step down and allow some unelected people to run the government. We believe in democracy, so these kinds of demands are not acceptable,” he told the BBC.
The BNP has threatened to boycott the January elections if their demand is not met. However, this tactic has not worked in their favor in the past.
The party’s refusal to contest the December 2014 elections helped the Awami League win another landslide.
With positions hardening, Bangladeshis face the possibility of prolonged political unrest and possibly more violence on the streets.