Bangladesh police resorted to using rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse opposition protesters who were throwing rocks at them, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government, DW reports.
The protesters are supporters of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which has been organizing rallies since last year, calling for Prime Minister Hasina to step down. They are advocating for a neutral caretaker government to oversee the country's next January elections.
However, Prime Minister Hasina has rejected the calls and plans to run for a fourth term in office. During the recent protest, hundreds of demonstrators gathered in the capital city, Dhaka, attempting to block various entry points. Clashes erupted when some protesters hurled rocks at the police, prompting the authorities to respond with tear gas and baton charges to disperse the crowd.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police reported that at least 90 activists were arrested during the protests, while the BNP claimed the number to be around 124. Two senior leaders of the opposition were briefly detained but later released. The police spokesperson, Faruk Hossain, justified their actions, stating that they had to use tear gas and rubber bullets to control the situation as their force was attacked without any reason.
During the clashes, around 20 police officers were injured, and the BNP reported over 100 of its activists being injured. The senior BNP leader, Abdul Moyeen Khan, condemned the police's actions, labeling it as "injustice." He accused the ruling regime of being autocratic and attempting to remain in power through a rigged election.
The opposition's call for Hasina's resignation stems from their accusation of her rigging the 2018 vote. The BNP's main rival, former premier Khaleda Zia, who leads the party, was subsequently convicted on corruption charges and placed under house arrest.
Western governments and rights groups have criticized Hasina's administration for its crackdown on anti-government protests, with allegations of authoritarianism, human rights abuses, forced disappearances, extrajudicial killings of dissidents, and suppression of free speech.
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