Bangladesh police arrest opposition leaders and ban public gatherings as unrest continues – JURIST

Bangladeshi police arrested one of the country’s most senior opposition leaders in Dakar on Friday after days of unrest and protests. Police did not release details of the arrest, but Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmeda leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), faces hundreds of charges, according to AFP. This happened as police failed to control the unrest and student protesters stormed a prison, freed hundreds of prisoners and set the prison on fire. In response to the prison break, Bangladeshi police took action to quell the protests by banning public gatherings for the day.

The ongoing violence stems from efforts to abolish a quota system that reserves up to 30 percent of government jobs for family members of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence against Pakistan. They argue the system is discriminatory and favors supporters of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League party. The protesters want to replace the system and base it on merit.

At least 75 people have been killed in protests this week, and 28 were killed in Friday’s protests. Protesters are blaming the government for these killings and demanding the immediate resignation of Sheikh Hasina. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed deep concern about the violence that has unfolded there, saying the attacks on students were “shocking and unacceptable”. In a statement released on Friday, he addressed the issue:

The government should take the necessary measures to ensure the protection and safety of students participating in peaceful protests and guarantee them the right to freedom of assembly and expression without fear of attacks on their life and physical integrity or other forms of repression.

Bangladesh’s political leaders must work with the country’s youth population to find solutions to the ongoing challenges and focus on the country’s growth and development. Dialogue is the best and only way forward.

Schools, universities, bus systems and the internet have been shut down to stop the protests. The Bangladesh Police website is currently unavailable as it has been hacked by the “resistance”. When you access the website, you are now greeted with the message: “It is no longer a protest. It is now war.” The students also issued a call to action, saying: “The peaceful protests of our brave students have been met with brutal violence and murder, orchestrated by the government and its political cronies. This is no longer a mere protest; this is a war for justice, for freedom and for our future.”

Tarique Rahman, acting chairman of the BNP, addressed the matter on X (formerly Twitter) and stated:

Despite the brutal crackdown on students protesting for fair reforms in the quota system and the nationwide shutdown of internet and telecommunications, these compassionate students continued their protests at various places today. Meanwhile, some overzealous police officers, implementing the orders of the autocratic Hasina, arrested many BNP leaders, activists and student protesters, including BNP deputy general secretary, advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, to give a political colour to this movement.