DHAKA: Bangladesh police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at stone-throwing opposition party supporters blocking major roads in the capital Dhaka to demand the prime minister’s resignation.
The main opposition party has organized larger protest marches recently, including one that drew tens of thousands of supporters out of frustration with the rising cost of living. The party has been in disarray since its leader Khaleda Zia was imprisoned in 2018 on bribery allegations.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party has demanded that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resign and that the upcoming election, scheduled for January 2024, be held under a caretaker administration that is impartial. Her government has rejected this proposal.
BNP activists set fire to buses and exploded petrol bombs, according to police and media. Faruq Ahmed, a spokesman for the Dhaka Metropolitan Police said, “We had to fire tear gas and rubber bullets to control the situation.” Numerous members of the BNP claimed that a large number of its supporters have been hurt. According to police, at least 20 officers were also injured in the clashes.
At least 90 people were arrested, while two senior BNP leaders were taken into police custody and later freed, police said. Senior BNP leader Abdul Moyeen Khan denounced the police action as an “injustice”.