Arrest spree against 0pponents continues: 20 more people killed, 16,000 held since Oct 28
Syed Shemul Parvez :
Mass arrests, random cases filing and oppression are continuing against the main opposition party BNP and its allies across the country since Oct 28 grand Rally.
According to sources, at least 20 people, including 15 of BNP men, four of Bangladesh Jamaat e Islami, a journalist and a policeman, were killed during the period.
Besides, over 16,000 including 13,300 BNP men and around 2500 Jamaat supporters have been arrested since Oct. 28.
It has been stated that the law enforcement agencies including police and the elite force Rapid Action Battalion continued arresting opposition leaders and activists in countrywide drive while main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party accused law enforcement agencies of grave human rights abuses against particular opponents.
Border Guard Bangladesh personnel were seen patrolling in Dhaka and elsewhere while the Dhaka Metropolitan Police said they were arresting people who were behind the arson attacks on bus or attacking the law enforcement agencies.
The police headquarters formally declined sharing any number of arrests and prosecution of opposition leaders and activists so far while a senior official confirmed the arrest of 10,000 opposition leaders and supporters in last three weeks.
Abir Shuvro, an additional police superintendent (media and public relations) at the police headquarters, said they do not have the official figure of arrests and number of cases against them.
The RAB headquarters in their statement said they have arrested 690 people in connection with attack and ‘sabotage’ since October 28.
The main opposition party BNP said 3,175 people were arrested, 98 cases were filed against 11,520 leaders and activists, two activists were killed and 412 people others injured since the Election Commission announced schedule for next parliamentary elections on January 24.
The number of arrests was 15,190 since October 28 while it was 18,171 since July 28. Since July, the BNP said 760 cases were filed against 65,633 people and 6559 were injured.
Since July, 415 opposition leaders and activists have been jailed and nine others have been awarded with death sentence in 26 cases.
Bangladesh Jamaat e Islami press wing in their statement said 6 of their leaders and activists were arrested between 4:00pm on November 22 and 1:00pm on November 23.
At least 2,621 of their leaders and activists were arrested between October 25 and November 23, the Jamaat added.
