Bangladesh: Opposition Protests Activist's Death

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Facts

  • On Thursday, members of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) took part in a procession in Dhaka to protest the recent death of Krishak Dal [the farmer's wing of the BNP] activist Sajeeb Hossain earlier this week.1
  • Hossain reportedly died in clashes with members of the ruling Awami League (AL) in the southern coastal district of Laxmipur on Tuesday, where police allegedly opened fire against hundreds of BNP supporters, leaving at least 200 injured.2
  • Violent confrontations were reported throughout the country on Tuesday as protestors demanded Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation accusing her of human rights violations and corruption.2
  • The Bangladeshi government allegedly prosecuted at least 6.1K unnamed protestors — in addition to 912 BNP leaders, activists, and supporters in 17 cases across the country in connection with Tuesday's clashes.3
  • The BNP and its allies reportedly called the protests to demand the upcoming polls take place under a non-partisan caretaker government. In supposed retaliation, the AL launched a "peace and development" march on the same day.4
  • The opposition accuses Hasina's AL, which has ruled the world's eighth most populous country since 2009, of rigging the vote in 2018 and 2014.5

Sources: 1The Daily Star, 2Barrons, 3Newagebd, 4The Financial Express, and 5Al Jazeera.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by World Politics Review. For years, Hasina's government offered an apparent economic development in exchange for crushing dissent, silencing free speech, and closing the democratic space. Because Bangladesh's economy is now in a critical condition, it's no surprise that thousands joined opposition protests to demand her resignation — especially because elections under a neutral caretaker used to be the norm in the country until 2011.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Press Xpress. The opposition is willing to drag Bangladesh into chaos not only by insisting on the transfer of power to an unelected government based on a provision ruled unconstitutional more than a decade ago but also by causing unrest and escalating violence. Given that the BNP has traditionally resorted to confrontations, the current protests cast doubts on the party's true commitment to democratic principles.