At least 10,000 activists were arrested during a sweeping crackdown launched by the ruling establishment in Bangladesh against the opposition parties, Human Rights Watch claimed on Monday, adding that the government wants to “eliminate competition” ahead of the general elections next year.
Among those arrested are the members of the principal opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which said that around half of its five million members “face politically motivated prosecution”.
“The arrests, they are not leaving anyone behind, from senior level to the ground level,” one activist told the HRW.
‘Many jails overcrowded with political prisoners’
Many jails are reportedly overcrowded with political prisoners, the NGO alleged in its report.
“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 New York-based rights group said.
The group further claimed that at least 16 people have been killed, including two police officers, since the protests escalated in October demanding Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to step down. Whereas, more than 5,500 people have been injured.
The HRW said that its assertions were based on multiple witness interviews and analysis of videos and police reports.
In its report titled ‘Bangladesh: Violent Autocratic Crackdown Ahead of Elections’, it said it had found "evidence that security forces are responsible for using excessive force, mass arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings."
On Sunday, the BNP on Sunday said at least 16,625 members had been arrested since October.
BNP facing the brunt of crackdown
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.
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The BNP and its allies want a neutral interim government ahead of the general elections, arguing that free and fair polls are not possible under Hasina.
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This demand was firmly rejected by the government led by Hasina’s Awami League.
The political unrest comes at a time when the country is facing economic hardship, with most voters struggling to cope with the escalating cost of living, especially rising food prices. Inflation was around 9.6 per cent in September.