UN special rapporteur urges all parties in Bangladesh to show restraint
United Nations special rapporteur on Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association (FOAA) Clement Voule urged all parties in Bangladesh to show restraint in the ongoing protests and subsequent violence and arrests.
In a Tweet posted on Monday, Voule wrote, “Amid escalating violence and arrests during ongoing protests, I urge all parties to exercise restraint. I remind authorities of their duty to guarantee the right to assembly and refrain from using excessive force. Respecting dissenting voices is key for fair and free elections.”
On Saturday, opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) staged a sit-in in several entry points of the capital. On that day, five clashes took place between BNP activists and the police.
Leaders and activists of ruling party Awami League and its associates were also on ‘alert’ in the capital. They also engaged in clashes with BNP activists in some spots. Many suffered injuries in the clashes, and many BNP activists got arrested.
The US has also expressed its concern over the political violence that took place in Bangladesh last week. The US has said that a free and fair election can’t take place in a violent environment.
Spokesperson for the US department of states Matthew Miller said this during a press briefing on Monday.