The main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has called for exemplary punishment for those responsible for the deaths of students during the recent anti-discrimination movement.
In a statement issued on Thursday, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir condemned the alleged killing of “hundreds of innocent students” who were protesting against discrimination in government employment.
“The country witnessed these innocent students being gunned
down like birds. We demand exemplary legal punishment for those responsible for these deaths,” the statement said.
Fakhrul criticized the government for disregarding demands for a judicial probe into the killings, noting that only six cases have been investigated.
He called for an international investigation into all the killings that occurred during the movement or, alternatively, for the government to resign and acknowledge its failures in handling the situation.
The BNP Secretary General also accused law enforcement agencies of conducting widespread arrests under the guise of containing anti-government protests.
He demanded the immediate release of those detained and an end to the ongoing arrest spree.
Among those arrested are several BNP leaders, including Barkatullah Bulu’s son, and Barrister Andaleeve Rahman Partho, Chairman of the Bangladesh Jatiya Party (BJP) and former MP.
Other notable arrests include BNP Health Affairs Secretary Dr. Rafiqul Islam, Executive Committee Member Tariqul Islam Tenjing, and Saniat Bulu, son of BNP Vice-Chairman Barkatullah Bulu, who was reportedly not involved in politics. These arrests are part of a larger crackdown related to the quota reform movement.