EU expresses concern over arrest of BNP men
The European Union (EU) has voiced concern over the arrest of more than 8,000 leaders and activists of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in Bangladesh and called for ensuring justice in all cases.
In a message on X (former Twitter), Josep Borrell Fontelles, high representative of the EU for foreign affairs and security policy, also stressed finding a peaceful way for participatory elections.
Encouraging all political parties to refrain from violence, he wrote, “(It is) vital to find a peaceful way to participatory elections, conducive to democracy, human rights, and fundamental freedoms.”
At least 7,835 leaders and activists of BNP have been arrested across the country in the last eight days until Saturday.
Of the arrestees, more than seven are top leaders and over fifty are influential leaders of city and district units, including former lawmakers.
Meanwhile, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), on Sunday afternoon, confirmed that they have arrested a total of 2,172 BNP men from the capital city since 28 October, in connection with 89 cases filed over conducting violence.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, standing committee members Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Mirza Abbas, and a large number of senior leaders are among the arrestees.
According to BNP sources, most of the leaders of the party’s central and district units went into hiding since the police started a crackdown following violence in the party’s grand rally in Dhaka on 28 October.
The arrests came when Bangladesh is scheduled to hold the next national election either at the end of December this year or at the beginning of January next year.
The ruling Awami League is hell-bent on holding the election under the current government, while the opposing BNP remains steadfast in its demand for an election-time caretaker government.
Now, the BNP, along with other like-minded entities, has been on an all-out movement to press home their demand for the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the reinstatement of a neutral poll-time government.