Bangladesh braces for further unrest after four killed in clashes at rally

Heavy constabulary beingness astatine Faridpur rally aft unit erupts betwixt information forces and supporters of ousted PM Sheikh Hasina.

Authorities successful Bangladesh person imposed dense information measures to forestall a repetition of further governmental violence, aft clashes betwixt information forces and supporters of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina near 4 radical dormant and much than 50 injured.

Hundreds of constabulary were deployed Thursday to the tract of a planned rally successful Faridpur by the National Citizen Party (NCP), a caller governmental enactment formed by students who spearheaded the unrest that ousted longtime person Hasina past year, section media reported. Their beingness underlined the volatile governmental tensions that stay successful the divided state astir 1 twelvemonth connected from the wide protests that toppled Hasina from power.

On Wednesday, an NCP rally successful Gopalganj district, Hasina’s ancestral location and a stronghold for her enactment base, erupted successful unit erstwhile supporters of her Awami League enactment tried to disrupt the event.

Four radical were killed and much than 50 were injured successful the violence, section media reported, citing police.

Victims shot

Footage from Gopalganj showed pro-Hasina activists equipped with sticks mounting upon constabulary and lighting vehicles connected occurrence arsenic NCP leaders arrived successful vehicles astatine the party’s “March to Rebuild the Nation” lawsuit commemorating the uprising against Hasina.

More than 1,500 police, on with service and borderline defender personnel, were deployed to respond to the violence, the Dhaka Tribune reported, citing a constabulary report. Armed unit carriers were seen patrolling the streets arsenic information forces responded to the unrest.

The English-language Daily Star, citing Gopalganj civilian surgeon Abu Sayeed Md Faruk, named the 4 dormant arsenic Dipto Saha, Ramzan Kazi, Sohel and Emon. The paper reported that infirmary unit had said that 8 others were being operated connected for slug wounds.

Home Affairs advisor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said that 10 constabulary unit were besides injured successful the violence, section media reported. He added that 25 radical had been arrested implicit the unrest.

The streets of Gopalganj were quiescent connected Thursday, with shops closed and fewer vehicles connected the road, the Dhaka Tribune reported, arsenic authorities imposed a curfew connected the territory successful effect to the violence.

Divided nation

The unit successful Gopalganj has underlined the volatile divisions that stay successful Bangladesh astir a twelvemonth aft Hasina was forced to resign, fleeing to exile connected a chopper to India, arsenic the interim authorities struggles to guarantee security.

Wednesday’s clashes drew promises of a harsh effect from the interim authorities led by Muhammad Yunus that has governed the state since Hasina’s ouster past August.

Yunus said successful a connection Wednesday that the effort by Hasina’s supporters to disrupt the NCP rally was “a shameful usurpation of their cardinal rights”, and warned that the unit would “not spell unpunished”.

The authorities said connected Thursday that it had established a committee to analyse the violence, which would beryllium chaired by Nasimul Ghani, elder caput of the Ministry of Home Affairs, and study its findings wrong 2 weeks.

Blame traded

Despite its promises to ace down connected those responsible, Yunus’s authorities has faced disapproval for failing to present information successful the divided country.

Hasina’s Awami League party, which authorities banned successful May, posted a fig of statements connected societal media level X condemning the violence, including 1 saying that each the gunshot victims were supporters of the party. It blamed the interim authorities for the deaths and injuries.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), 1 of 2 parties, alongside the Awami League, that person traditionally dominated Bangladeshi politics, besides criticised the authorities connected Thursday implicit the violence, saying it had failed to support instrumentality and order.

Meanwhile, the right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami enactment condemned the attacks connected the NCP and announced protests of its own.

Earlier this month, Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal indicted Hasina and 2 elder officials implicit alleged crimes against humanity linked to a deadly crackdown connected protesters during the uprising against her rule. In a separate, earlier ruling, Hasina – who lives successful self-imposed exile successful India – was sentenced successful absentia to six months successful situation for contempt of tribunal by the tribunal.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies