Two killed in anti-government protests in Bangladesh

Two people were reportedly killed and dozens of others injured during a protest by the main Bangladesh opposition party that is demanding the resignation of prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Supporters of the Bangladesh National Party (BNP) clashed in Kishoreganj on Tuesday – the first day of the three-day protest against Ms Hasina.

The main opposition party called for a three-day road blockade in response to the confrontations between the supporters of BNP and the police on Sunday during which one policeman lost his life and over 100 people sustained injuries.

The party has been urging the prime minister to step down so as to allow the upcoming January elections to occur under the oversight of a neutral caretaker government. However, her administration has rebuffed this request.

A police official said that two were killed on Tuesday during the clashes and dozens were injured including 15 policemen.

“Clashes erupted when they attacked us,” said the police official, who declined to be identified, adding it was not clear how the two were killed.

“We had to fire rubber bullets to bring the situation under control,” he said, according to Reuters.

“This brutal killing by the police is cowardly. Sheikh Hasina has given license to the police to kill indiscriminately to stop the movement to restore democracy,” BNP senior joint secretary, general Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, said.

This comes as one of Bangladesh’s most senior opposition politicians was detained after deadly clashes between police and anti-government protesters on Sunday.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the secretary general of BNP was taken into custody from his home on Sunday, his wife Rahat Ara Begum said.

At least one policeman died and dozens of others, including opposition party supporters, were injured as thousands of protesters joined rallies across the capital Dhaka on Saturday to demand the resignation of Hasina and call for the transfer of power to a non-partisan caretaker government to oversee general elections next year.

Meanwhile, the two dead on Tuesday were identified as Refayet Ullah, 20, and Billal Mian, 30, the Dhaka Tribune reported.

Superintendent of Police Md Russell Sheikh said: “When the protesters created blockades on the road, the police tried to remove them. They launched an attack on police personnel, resulting in a clash. Police also fired rubber bullets to maintain order.”