The Opposition party BNP told the media about the arrest of three more of its senior leaders after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina refused to engage in talks with the opposition party BNP who are demanding her resignation.
Over the past year, widespread protests against Hasina’s government have demanded a neutral caretaker administration for the upcoming January elections.
Numerous leaders and supporters of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), including former Commerce Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, have been arrested. The arrests also included BNP spokesman Zahir Uddin Swapan and Aminul Huq, a former national football captain.
These arrests followed the recent detention of Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, a top BNP leader charged with the murder of a police officer.
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Prime Minister Hasina refused dialogue with the BNP and referred to them as “beasts.” Violence erupted in Dhaka, with protests continuing and clashes resulting in casualties.
While Hasina has overseen economic growth, Western nations have expressed concerns about democratic erosion and allegations of human rights abuses by her security forces.
Violence erupted across in the capital Dhaka on Sunday as more than 100,000 people took to the streets in the latest protest against Hasina’s government.
Protests have continued in the days since with opposition activists attempting to blockade roads and railway lines.
At least four protesters and one police officer have been killed in clashes since the weekend.
