2013 Bangladesh violence
LocationBangladesh
Date28 February 2013 - 17 May 2013
Deaths109
Injured800+[1]

2013 Bangladesh violence refers to the political instability, increase in crime and widespread attacks of minorities and opposition activists.

Background

Clashes after Delwar Hossain Sayidee verdict

Verdict on Delwar Hossain Sayidee

On 28 February 2013, Thursday, the ICT, found Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delwar Hossain Sayeedi guilty of 8 out of 20 charges leveled against him including murder, rape and torture during the 1971 war of independence[2][3][4]

Clashes

On Sunday and Monday, 3 and 4 March, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami enforced a 48-hour hartal.[2] Protests led by Jamaate Islami activists and Sayeedi supporters were carried out during these strikes.[2] Bangladesh Nationalist Party supported the strike and called for another daylong strike on 5 March.[5] Police shot dead 31 protestors during the initial clashes.[6] According to Human Rights Watch, members of the Border Guards Bangladesh, and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) shot live ammunition and rubber bullets into unarmed crowds, which included children, conducted sweeping arrests and used other forms of excessive force during and after protests.[3] One eyewitness recalling the death of his 17-year-old family member described how he was shot after walking back from afternoon prayers:[3]

I saw [him] on the ground with blood coming from his head. I tried to drag his body to the side. It was the first time I had seen a dead body so I was in shock. They were still shooting, so I ran down the road. … When the RAB officers stopped shooting they dragged [him] like a carcass and flung him into the car.

During the clashes a total of 80 individuals were shot dead by police.[2] Police says that it did all these killings in "self defense."[6]

Lawsuits

Police sued 98,000 people for committing violence and imposed Section 144 in several districts.[7]

Anti-Hindu Riot

Map showing the places in Bangladesh where minority Hindus were attacked by the Islamist Jamaat-Shibir

After the verdict of Delwar Hossain Sayidee, attacks on Hindu community occurred in several districts of Bangladesh including Noakhali, Lakshmipur, Chittagong, Comilla, Brahmanbaria, Cox's Bazar, Bagerhat, Gaibandha, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Lalmonirhat, Barisal, Bhola, Barguna, Satkhira, Chapainawabganj, Natore, Sylhet, Manikganj, Munshiganj.[8][9][10] Several temples were vandalized. 2 Hindus died due to injuries in the violence.[11][12] In a BBC News report, Anbarasan Ethirajan wrote that "the recent violence is mainly blamed on the opposition Jamaat-e-Islami party, whose leaders are facing war crimes at the tribunal. But the party - which opposed Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan - denies the charges."[13] Amnesty International expressed concern on the anti-Hindu attacks and urged the government of Bangladesh to provide them with better protection.[14][15] Abbas Faiz, Bangladesh Researcher of Amnesty International has said that, since the obvious risks the Hindu minority face in Bangladesh, these attacks were predictable.[16][17][18]

2013 Shapla Square protests

On 5 May, mass protests took place at Shapla Square in the Motijheel area of capital Dhaka. The protests were organized by the Islamist pressure group, Hefazat-e Islam, who were demanding the enactment of a blasphemy law.[19][20] The government responded to the protests by cracking down on the protesters using a combined force drawn from the police, Rapid Action Battalion and paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh to drive the protesters out of Shapla Square.[21][22][23][24]

Following the events at Motijheel, protests in other parts of the country also broke out, during which 27 people died,[25][26][27] although different sources report casualty numbers ranging from 20 to 61.[25][26][27][28][29][30] The opposition party BNP initially claimed thousands of Hefazat activists were killed during the operation, but this was disputed by the government.[31][32] Human Rights Watch and other human rights organizations put the total death toll at above 50,[31] but rights groups have termed the events as a massacre.[3][33] Initial attempts to dispute the chain of events were thwarted due to the government closure of two television channels, Diganta Television and Islamic TV, which were live telecasting the operation.[34]

Attacks by Islamic extremists in Bangladesh

From 2013, attacks number of secularist writers, bloggers, and publishers and members of religious minorities such as Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and Shias were killed or seriously injured in attacks that are believed to have been perpetrated by Islamist extremists.[35][36] These attacks have been largely blamed by extremist groups such as Ansarullah Bangla Team and Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

2013–2014 Satkhira clashes

A joint operation by Border Guards Bangladesh, Rapid Action Battalion and Bangladesh police took place in different places of Satkhira district to hunt down the activists of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. They began on 16 December 2013 and continued after the 2014 Bangladesh election.[33] There are allegations that various formations of the Indian military participated in the crackdown, an allegation that Bangladesh government denies.[28][37]

Reactions

Domestic

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has strongly condemned the action of law enforcement forces.[38] The chairperson of BNP, Khaleda Zia, has termed the spate of deaths across the country as "genocide" and accused the government of oppressing the opposition parties.[39] The BNP Acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir blamed the government for the ongoing hate attacks on the minorities (i.e. Hindu community) across Bangladesh.[9] On the other hand, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni condemned reports of Jamaat-e-Islami activists attacking minority Hindus and their temples in different parts of the country.[40] She said, "It is unfortunate and deplorable. The (Bangladesh) government will not tolerate any attempt to destabilize the country, or allow any breach of communal harmony."

International

Several international organizations have expressed their concern over the recent violence in Bangladesh as an aftermath of the verdict. Human Rights Watch urged restraint on all sides.[41]

Recognizing the right of the people to protest, the United Nations deputy spokesman Eduardo del Buey said, "The Secretary-General [of the U.N.] recognizes the right of people to protest, and it's the responsibility of both the authorities and the people protesting to assure this is done in a very peaceful manner."[38]

The United Kingdom has expressed sadness over the violence and the number of senseless and unnecessary deaths that have taken place across Bangladesh during the past few days.[42] The British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Robert Gibson, said, "I deplore the cruel and unwarranted attacks on places of worship and private property." He added, "This great achievement risks being undermined by the callous and unacceptable actions of a few. While every citizen has the right to mount a peaceful protest, intimidation and imposition of strikes disrupts the lives of all citizens and hampers the operation of legitimate business. This is sending a negative signal to the international community and those wishing to invest in Bangladesh."[42][43] Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird also expressed Canada's concern for Bangladesh.[44] The United States has also expressed their concern over the attacks on homes, temples and shops owned by Hindu community in Bangladesh and called government to ensure safety of its citizens.[45]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Devnath, Arun (28 February 2013). "Clashes Kill 35 in Bangladesh After Islamist Sentenced to Hang". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 3 March 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Akrami, Mina (8 March 2013). "More Than 80 Killed in Clashes Over Bangladesh War Crimes Trial". News. Record. Archived from the original on 3 May 2016. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Bangladesh: End Unlawful Violence Against Protesters". Human Rights Watch. Human Rights Watch. Archived from the original on 2 April 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  4. ↑ "Bangladesh party leader accused of war crimes in 1971 conflict". The Guardian. London. Associated Press. 3 October 2011. Archived from the original on 1 October 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  5. ↑ "BNP strike on Tuesday". The News Today. Archived from the original on 7 April 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  6. 1 2 "Jamaat unleashes violence, 35 killed". bdnews24.com. 28 February 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  7. ↑ "98,000 sued for violence in 15 dists". The News Today. Archived from the original on 7 April 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  8. ↑ "Hindus under attack". The Daily Star. 1 March 2013. Archived from the original on 3 March 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  9. 1 2 "Bagerhat, Barisal Hindu temples set ablaze". bdnews24.com. 2 March 2013. Archived from the original on 5 March 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  10. ↑ "Nine Die in Bogra Violence". bdnews24.com. 3 March 2013. Archived from the original on 13 September 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  11. ↑ "Minorities resent 'Jamaat attacks'". bdnews24.com. 2 March 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  12. ↑ বাঁশখালী ও নোয়াখালীতে হিন্দু বাড়িতে হামলা, অগ্নিসংযোগ. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). Dhaka. 1 March 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
  13. ↑ Ethirajan, Anbarasan (9 March 2013). "Bangladesh minorities 'terrorised' after mob violence". BBC News. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
  14. ↑ "Protect Hindus, AI urges Bangladesh". The Daily Star. 7 March 2013. Archived from the original on 27 December 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
  15. ↑ Haroon, Habib (7 March 2013). "Protect Bangladeshi Hindus, says Amnesty". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 10 March 2013. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  16. ↑ "Bangladesh: Wave of violent attacks against Hindu minority". Amnesty International (Press release). 7 March 2013. Archived from the original on 16 April 2017. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
  17. ↑ "Amnesty calls for protecting Hindus". bdnews24.com. 7 March 2013. Archived from the original on 9 March 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
  18. ↑ বাংলাদেশে হিন্দুদের ওপর হামলায় অ্যামনেস্টির উদ্বেগ. BBC Bangla (in Bengali). 7 March 2013. Archived from the original on 12 May 2013. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  19. ↑ "Press note on Motijheel reflects party views instead of govt: Dudu". Weekend Independent. 12 May 2013. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
  20. ↑ Rahman, Anisur (5 May 2013). "Radical Islamists lay siege to Dhaka". Gulf News. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
  21. ↑ Ashraf, Shamim (6 May 2013). "Hefajat men flee Motijheel". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 29 May 2014. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  22. ↑ "Govt trashes loss of thousands of lives rumour". The Daily Star. UNB. 10 May 2013. Archived from the original on 29 May 2014. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
  23. ↑ "Bangladesh clashes rage over blasphemy law". Al Jazeera. 6 May 2013. Archived from the original on 8 February 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  24. ↑ "Riot police battle Islamists in Dhaka Bangladesh". BBC News. Archived from the original on 9 May 2013. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  25. 1 2 "27 more killed". The Daily Star. 7 May 2013. Archived from the original on 7 May 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  26. 1 2 Paul, Ruma. "At least 20 dead in Islamist protests in Bangladesh". Yahoo News. Reuters. Archived from the original on 6 May 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  27. 1 2 "BNS bears Hefajat brunt". The Daily Star. 7 May 2013. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  28. 1 2 "Khaleda questions Satkhira raid". bdnews24.com. 20 January 2014. Archived from the original on 15 December 2017.
  29. ↑ Al-Mahmood, Syed Zain (6 May 2013). "Bangladesh protest violence leaves more than 30 people dead". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 10 October 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  30. ↑ "Clashes over Islam blasphemy law kill 27 in Bangladesh". MSN. Archived from the original on 10 June 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  31. 1 2 "HRW rebuts genocide claim". bdnews24.com. 11 May 2013. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  32. ↑ "Country Information and Guidance Bangladesh: Opposition to the government" (PDF). UK Home Office: 11. February 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 January 2017. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  33. 1 2 "Reports of Government Sponsored Mass Killings and Vandalism in Satkhira". Progress Bangladesh. 19 December 2013. Archived from the original on 3 March 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  34. ↑ "Diganta, Islamic TV taken off air". bdnews24.com. 6 May 2013. Archived from the original on 12 September 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  35. ↑ "Fourth secular Bangladesh blogger hacked to death". Al Jazeera. 7 August 2015. Archived from the original on 1 March 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  36. ↑ "Motion Timeline: 29 killings in 4 years". The Daily Star. 2 May 2016. Archived from the original on 5 May 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  37. ↑ "Foreign office denies documents leak". The News Today. 16 January 2014. Archived from the original on 15 December 2017.
  38. 1 2 Hossain, Farid (28 February 2013). "Bangladesh Rioting Over Court Decision Kills Dozens". HuffPost. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 1 March 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  39. ↑ "Khaleda accuses govt of "genocide"". The New Age. Dhaka. 2 March 2013. Archived from the original on 5 December 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  40. ↑ "Bangladesh FM condemns Jamaat-e-Islami attacks on minority Hindus in Bangladesh". ANI News. 12 March 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  41. ↑ "HRW calls for restraint in Bangladesh". bdnews24.com. 2 March 2013. Archived from the original on 5 March 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  42. 1 2 Hafez Ahmed. "UK shocked over deaths". The News Today. Archived from the original on 5 April 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  43. ↑ "UK calls for restraint in Bangladesh". bdnews24.com. 3 March 2013. Archived from the original on 5 March 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  44. ↑ "Canada Condemns Deadly Violence in Bangladesh". 8 March 2013. Archived from the original on 12 May 2013. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  45. ↑ "US worried at attacks on Hindus". The Daily Star. 6 March 2013. Archived from the original on 9 March 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
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