Jurist Bangladesh police arrest opposition party leader and ban public gatherings as unrest continues

[Dadparvar]

Bangladesh police arrested one of the country’s most senior opposition party leaders Friday in Dakar following days of unrest and protests. Police have not provided details on the arrest, but Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed, a leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), is facing hundreds of charges, according to AFP. This comes as police fail to contain the unrest and student protestors stormed a prison, freeing hundreds of prisoners and setting the jail on fire. In response to the prison break, the Bangladesh police took a step in quelling the protests, banning public gatherings for the day.

The ongoing violence stems from a push 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 benefits supporters of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League party. The protestors want to replace the system and base it on merit.

At least 75 people were killed during protests this week, and 28 were killed during the Friday Protests. Protestors are blaming the government for these killings, demanding Sheikh Hasina resign immediately. UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk said he was deeply concerned about the violence that has unfolded, saying the attacks on students are “shocking and unacceptable” He addressed the issue in a statement released Friday:

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

Bangladesh’s political leaders must work with the country’s young 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 all been shut down in an attempt to stop the protests. The Bangladesh police website is currently unavailable as it has been hacked by the “Resistance.” When accessing the website, one is now greeted by “t’s not a protest anymore. It’s a war now.” The students also had a call to action stating, “[t]he 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, an acting Chairman of the BNP, addressed the matter on X, formerly Twitter, stating:

Despite the brutal crackdown throughout the night on students protesting for fair reforms of the quota system, with internet and telecommunications shut down across the country, these tender-hearted students have continued their protests in various locations today. Meanwhile, some overly enthusiastic members of the police, in implementing the orders of the autocratic Hasina, have arrested many BNP leaders, activists, and student protesters, including the BNP’s Senior Joint Secretary General, Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, in an attempt to give political colour to this movement.

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