Foreign office briefing on 28th October situation in Bangladesh

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) continued its pursuit of violence, vandalism and aggression under the plea of so-called grand rally in the capital city of Dhaka today. BNP called this grand rally with its one-point unconstitutional demand of holding the general elections under a non-party caretaker administration.

02. BNP sought permission from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) to hold its rally in Naya Paltan. Ruling party, Awami League, also sought to hold a ‘peace rally’ at the south gate of Baitul Mukarram National Mosque. The DMP, as the competent authority in this regard, granted permission to both BNP and Awami League to hold their respective rallies under certain conditions in the interest of maintaining the law and order. The conditions included, inter alia,

• To hold the rallies within the designated places and to conclude within the allocated timeframe (1400 hrs to 1700 hrs),
• Not to assemble at the respective venue before 1200 hrs,
• Not to deliver any provocative or anti-state speeches,
• Not to carry sticks or metal rods,
• Not to allow speeches by persons convicted in criminal activities.

Mentionable, in stipulating the conditions, the DMP did not make any discrimination whatsoever between Awami League and BNP. The conditions were identical for both the parties.

03. The BNP activists violated all the conditions lawfully imposed by the DMP for upholding the safety and security of life and property. They attacked, vandalized and ransacked the residence of the Chief Justice of Bangladesh and the Judges Tower (residence of other Judges of the Supreme Court), They torched and destroyed office of the Ramna traffic police, a number of police outposts located at Kakrail, Bijaynagar, Fakirapool and Malibagh areas and damaged close circuit cameras of law enforcement agencies. They brutally beat one policeman to death near Dainik Bangla, torched ambulances and government vehicles at Rajarbag Police Hospital premises causing disruption of emergency medical services.

04. The BNP activists mercilessly vandalized and burned public transports critically injuring passengers and damaging vehicles. They ransacked the Institute of Diploma Engineers and business properties in at Bailey Road. Many establishments on both sides of the street from Naya Paltan to Kakrail, a number of vehicles on front of Audit Complex were flamed. They hurled crude bombs, cocktail bombs and brick chunks targeting the police and innocent passersby seriously injuring hundreds of policemen and innocent citizens in various parts of the city including Kakrail, Nightingale Square, Paltan, Malibagh etc.

05.  All these violence and vandalism were on record and covered by print and media journalists. Numerous photographs and video recordings with horrific and graphical details of their brutalities are in circulation including on social media. In fact, the utterly unruly BNP activists attacked the on-duty journalists and critically injured at least ten media professionals five of whom got admitted to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Their cameras and other news equipments were vandalized and robbed. Bangladesh Federal Journalist Union (BFUJ) has immediately issued a statement condemning these barbaric attacks by the BNP activists.   

06. Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami also applied for holding another rally in Dhaka and sought permission from the administration. The DMP could not grant permission to Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami as it is no longer a registered political party. Despite, the activists of Jamaat-e-Islami gathered in the Arambag area of Motijheel since early morning. Some of their activists were trying to proceed towards Shapla Chattar through the Golapbagh area. Police had to disperse the leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami who came to attend the rally.

07. With the intention to continue violence and arsonist behavior, BNP has called a dawn-to-dusk hartal in Dhaka city for tomorrow (29 October 2023).  The government is cautious of the situation and the Law Enforcing Agencies have been asked to take necessary measures to preserve public safety and uphold the law-and-order situation within the country.

08. These series of acts of horrific violence on the law enforcing agents without any provocation, attacks on innocent citizens, media professionals and public and private properties are reminiscent of the state of terror that BNP and its allies unleashed prior to the general elections in 2014 and 2018 with torching thousands of public transports and private vehicles and killing numerous innocent lives including burning passengers alive. Indeed, BNP has developed a habit of terrorizing the nation before every national election with the malicious intention to impede democratic processes and promote undemocratic forces.

Like in the previous occasions, the government will continue to show utmost patience and restrain in line with its unwavering commitment to peaceful democratic processes.