New Delhi
CNN
—
Tens of hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Dhaka on Saturday calling for the dissolution of parliament to make manner for brand new elections, and demand the resignation of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The mass protest within the capital was organized by the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Celebration (BNP), which accuses Hasina of failing to deal with rising gas costs and the price of residing.
Saturday’s protest comes amid a flurry of demonstrations in Bangladesh calling on Hasina to step down and demanding new elections.
Hasina has responded by calling the opposition leaders “arson terrorists” and warned folks in opposition to permitting the BNP – the biggest opposition social gathering – again into energy.
A number of arrests had been made within the lead as much as Saturday’s protest.
Police arrested two prime BNP leaders, together with social gathering secretary basic Mirza Alamgir on Friday. Authorities mentioned Alamgir was going through prices, with out giving extra info.
No less than one man died throughout clashes between protesters and police on Wednesday when safety forces fired tear fuel to disperse folks gathered in entrance of the BNP’s workplace within the capital.
Hasan Mahmud, Bangladesh’s Info and Broadcasting Minister, mentioned authorities consider the person died after being injured by [Molotov] cocktails made by the activists and blamed the BNP for “creating chaos,” in keeping with a report in state media outlet BSS.
The Bangladesh Election Fee has not introduced a date for the following basic election, which is due by the top of 2023.
The Bangladesh Awami League, led by 75-year-old Hasina, has been in energy since 2009.
Hasina received a 3rd consecutive time period as Prime Minister in 2018 in a nationwide election that was marred by lethal violence and allegations of rigged ballots.
Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch, criticized the federal government’s response to the protests.
“Involved governments ought to publicly name on the prime minister to permit Bangladeshis to freely interact in peaceable political actions,” she mentioned.
“Sheikh Hasina ought to settle for the problem of democratic rule, not authoritarian abuse.”
US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter D. Haas mentioned in a press release Thursday that the embassy is worried about studies of intimidation and political violence and urged authorities to analyze and shield freedoms of expression and peaceable meeting.
