Bangladesh police officials disclosed on Sunday that they had detained two opposition activists following the demise of a policeman in the midst of intense protests advocating for the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The officer was brutally attacked and fatally injured by a mob on Saturday, as evidenced by various photographs and videos, during massive demonstrations in Dhaka, spearheaded by the principal opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The turbulent events resulted in over a hundred injuries, encompassing both police personnel and journalists, along with the destruction of multiple vehicles.
While security forces maintained a presence in Dhaka on Sunday during a nationwide strike initiated by the BNP, the police confirmed the apprehension of two activists associated with the officer’s demise and also brought in the party’s secretary general, Mirza Alamgir, for interrogation. “We are committed to ensuring the harshest penalties for those responsible for this heinous act,” stated Dhaka metropolitan police commissioner Habibur Rahman during a briefing with reporters. According to a police insider, one of the arrested individuals was a BNP youth leader, whereas the affiliation of the other remains unconfirmed.
The BNP refrained from making a direct comment on the officer’s tragic passing but urged its supporters to stage street blockades for three days starting from Tuesday, in protest against the detentions. The party alleged that one of its activists also succumbed to gunshots during the protests on Saturday, although both police and medical professionals attributed the death to a heart attack. Concurrently, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan confirmed that legal proceedings were being initiated in response to the violent incidents, as Bangladeshi citizens expressed concerns over the political turmoil and the escalating cost of living.
Critics have long accused Hasina, who has held power since 2009, of exhibiting authoritarian tendencies, orchestrating election manipulations, and violating human rights, including the incarceration of political opponents. The Prime Minister vehemently denies these allegations. The BNP is demanding Hasina’s resignation and advocating for the next parliamentary election, scheduled for January 2024, to be conducted under the supervision of a neutral caretaker government, a proposal that has been vehemently rejected by the incumbent government.
