Bangladesh: Rights group takes note of over 10,000 arrests to 'eliminate competition' ahead of elections

In an attempt to “eliminate competition” ahead of general elections, Bangladesh has begun a broad and violent crackdown on opposition parties, which has resulted in the arrest of nearly 10,000 activists, Human Rights Watch said on Monday.

A startling number of the thousands of people detained—many of them members of the influential Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)—also have charges against them.

Human Rights Watch stated that the BNP claims that nearly half of its five million members “face politically motivated prosecution.”

One activist told the non-governmental rights advocacy group, “The arrests, they are not leaving anyone behind, from senior level to ground level.”

According to the organization, prison populations have more than doubled.

The South Asian nation of around 170 million people holds a general election on January 7, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina eyeing her fourth consecutive term in power.

“Bangladesh authorities are carrying out mass arrests of political opposition in a clear attempt to quash the opposition and eliminate competition ahead of the general elections”, the rights group said.

New York-based Human Rights Watch, who called it a “violent autocratic crackdown”, said at least 16 people have been killed since protests escalated in October, including two police officers.

More than 5,500 people have been injured.

There was no immediate response by the government to the rights group’s report, but authorities say that those arrested should face justice for a range of violent crimes.

Human Rights Watch based its report on multiple witness interviews, as well as analysis of videos and police reports.

It said it had found “evidence that security forces are responsible for using excessive force, mass arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings”.

Bangladesh is one of the world’s largest garment exporters – accounting for around 85 per cent of its US$55 billion in annual exports – with many global brands purchasing clothes from its factories.

“Diplomatic partners should make clear that the crackdown will jeopardise economic cooperation”, the rights group said.

Julia Bleckner, senior Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch, said credible elections could not be held under such conditions.

“A free election is impossible when the government stifles free expression and systematically incapacitates the opposition, critics, and activists through arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearance, harassment, and intimidation,” Bleckner said.

The BNP on Sunday said at least 16,625 members had been arrested since October.

They include most of its leadership, most notably the BNP’s de facto chief Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

Prosecutors and lawyers said in the past two weeks at least 526 BNP officials and activists were convicted and sentenced, mostly in absentia, over what the party said were “trumped up” charges.

(with inputs from agencies)