"Why is the Bangladeshi opposition protesting against Sheikh Hasina’s government?"
The prime minister is currently dealing with a political crisis as tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets to demand free and fair elections. In Bangladesh, police have been clashing with supporters of the opposition, firing tear gas and rubber bullets. This comes as supporters of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) have blocked major roads in the capital Dhaka, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Tuhin Sarwar: Dhaka Bangladesh's
“According to the BNP, dozens of its supporters were injured and more than 120 members were arrested. As the economic crisis in the country worsens amid rising inflation and a cost of living crisis, the BNP has held huge protest rallies in recent months with tens of thousands of party supporters taking to the streets.
The current turmoil is one of the most serious political crises Hasina and her Awami League party have faced in recent years.
Here is what you need to know:
The BNP wants Prime Minister Hasina to step down and for the next election, due in January 2024, to be held under a neutral caretaker government.
During a rally on Friday, BNP Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said there was no scope of “having any fair election under this government”.
“Every important institution of the country has been destroyed and people’s rights have been taken away. Price hikes of every essential have made people’s lives miserable,” Alamgir told supporters.
The BNP, whose leader and former Prime Minister Khalida Zia is effectively under house arrest on corruption charges, has previously accused Hasina of vote rigging in 2014 and 2018. The Awami League has repeatedly rejected the allegations.
Hasina, who has maintained strict control since coming to power in 2009, has been accused of authoritarianism and human rights abuses, as well as suppressing free speech and suppressing dissent.
Her security forces are accused of detaining tens of thousands of opposition activists, killing hundreds in extrajudicial encounters, and disappearing hundreds of leaders and supporters.
The elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) security force and seven of its senior officers were sanctioned by Washington in 2021 in response to those alleged rights abuses.
So far, the government has rejected the demands of the opposition, saying that putting in a caretaker government was unconstitutional.
In 2011, the South Asian nation’s Supreme Court struck down the 15-year-old constitutional provision that allowed an incumbent government to transfer power to an unelected non-partisan caretaker administration to oversee a new parliamentary election.
“People should be free to protest and dissent. By muffling their voices, the government is signaling that having different political views is not tolerated within the country,” Yasasmin Kaviratne said, calling on police to “exercise restraint”.
The United States has called on the Bangladeshi government to hold free and participatory elections as the last two national elections were allegedly marred by vote-rigging allegations
Earlier this week, 14 US congresspeople wrote to the US ambassador to the UN to hold a fair election in Bangladesh under the UN's and neutral parties' mediation.
The Bangladeshi government has accused the US and its Western allies of intervening in the country’s internal affairs.
The international community has been closely monitoring the situation in Bangladesh. Human rights organizations have expressed concern over the government’s handling of the protests and the allegations of human rights abuses. The European Union has also called for a peaceful resolution to the crisis and emphasized the importance of free and fair elections.
The political instability in Bangladesh has potential implications for regional security and economic stability. As a key player in South Asia, prolonged unrest in Bangladesh could affect neighboring countries and international trade routes.
Sheikh Hasina has been a dominant figure in Bangladeshi politics for over a decade. Her tenure has seen significant economic growth and development, but it has also been marred by allegations of corruption, human rights abuses, and suppression of political dissent. The BNP, led by Khalida Zia, has been the main opposition force, and the rivalry between the two leaders has defined much of the country’s recent political history.
As the January 2024 elections approach, the political landscape in Bangladesh remains highly volatile. The outcome of the current protests and the government’s response will likely shape the future of the country’s democracy. Observers are watching closely to see if the government will make any concessions or if the opposition will escalate its demands.
