Mass rally in Bangladesh as opposition demand free, fair election

DHAKA – In a historic gathering, over 100,000 supporters of Bangladesh’s two major opposition parties, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami, took to the streets of Dhaka on Saturday.

The event saw opposition parties demanding Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation to ensure a free and fair election under the supervision of a neutral government.

These demonstrations marked a significant development in their ongoing protests, with a general election scheduled to occur within the next three months.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been in power for 15 years, is being challenged by these opposition groups.

Her leadership has witnessed substantial economic growth, with Bangladesh surpassing its neighboring India in GDP per capita.

However, increasing inflation, allegations of corruption, and human rights abuses have plagued her government.

Despite the BNP’s leader, Khaleda Zia, being under effective house arrest due to her conviction on corruption charges, the opposition has continued to stage demonstrations.

Supporters of Khaleda Zia traveled to Dhaka on Saturday, despite road checkpoints and overcrowded transportation, including buses and trains.

The crowd at the BNP demonstration, held in front of the party headquarters, chanted slogans such as “Vote thief, vote thief, Sheikh Hasina vote thief.”

Sekandar Badsha, a 24-year-old student activist from Chittagong, stated, “We demand the immediate resignation of the Hasina government, the release of our leader Khaleda Zia, and the establishment of the people’s right to vote.”

To maintain security, more than 10,000 police officers were deployed.

However, clashes erupted between the police and hundreds of protesters in Dhaka’s Kakrail neighborhood, in front of the city’s largest Catholic church.

Police used tear gas and rubber bullets, resulting in injuries to some police officers.

Bangladesh opposition defy odds

According to Dhaka Metropolitan Police spokesman Faruk Hossain, at least 100,000 people participated in the BNP rally, while approximately 25,000 attended the Jamaat protest near the city’s primary commercial district.

The Jamaat event had been prohibited by the police, and hundreds of officers in riot gear blocked a critical intersection.

Nevertheless, around 3,000 protesters managed to breach the cordon.

At least 200 BNP supporters were arrested near the party headquarters on suspicion of hurling Molotov cocktails, according to Faruk.

In the past week, over 600 people have been detained.

BNP spokesman Zahir Uddin Swapan told AFP that more than one million people participated in their rally, described as their “final call” for Hasina to resign.

He also noted that at least 2,900 of their activists and supporters had been detained over the past week.

The BNP has threatened to escalate its protests, including strikes and blockades if Prime Minister Hasina does not voluntarily step down, even though such an outcome seems unlikely.

The political climate in Bangladesh has drawn concern from Western governments.

The ruling Awami League, led by Sheikh Hasina, dominates the legislature, effectively functioning as a rubber stamp.

Security forces are accused of detaining tens of thousands of opposition activists, resulting in hundreds of extrajudicial killings, and the disappearance of numerous opposition leaders and supporters.