Politics in Bangladesh is at a crossroads right now. Following the violence that started unfolding at BNP’s rally on October 28, the government has so far arrested over 2,000 BNP activists under 89 cases filed with 32 police stations under the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), including Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and other top leaders. Over 9,000 activists have been arrested countrywide since the rally, and law enforcement agencies will reportedly intensify their clampdown even more in the days to come. Given the circumstances, The Daily Star asked civil society members about their views on the mass arrest and their implications for a free, fair and acceptable general election in January 2024.

The government’s act of arresting opposition leaders and activists right before the election just shows its own weakness. It is doing so to prevent a free and fair election, which most definitely would not go in its favour.

The government’s narrative—that the arrests are being made due to criminal acts—cannot be accepted. Recently, one of our ministers insinuated that syndicates cannot be touched. The authorities are not arresting the hoarders; they are not arresting the garment owners responsible for the recent chaos. Instead, they are opening fire on the workers, who are demanding for their due right. The government is doing all this to prevent a surefire defeat in the election.

Notably, the high-ups are allowing the communal force Jamaat to hold demonstrations. This just proves that the government has no ethical obligations to meet, like upholding non-communalism. It only has one goal in mind: staying in power.

Mujahidul Islam Selim

Former president of the Communist Party of Bangladesh

Arbitrarily detaining individuals without justification, especially as a means to target members of a particular political party, will unquestionably have a profound impact on the public. When people are persistently kept in a state of uncertainty or harbour mistrust towards one another, it can lead to potential harassment in the future. This issue also highlights critical human rights concerns.

The situation demands immediate attention from both the law enforcement officials and those responsible for overseeing their actions. Failing to address and rectify this issue promptly could lead to further escalation of the situation, triggering extensive criticism internationally.

The prevalent practice of apprehending individuals who have no direct involvement in the alleged offences or detaining them on the basis of mere suspicion, along with filing anonymous cases, is a recurring problem in our country. Given the public perception of law enforcement, it is imperative that our state security forces act more judiciously and engage more effectively with the general public during these crucial times. Before taking someone into custody, a comprehensive investigation and a rigorous process should be applied.

Brig Gen (retd) Dr M Sakhawat Hussain

Former election commissioner of Bangladesh, and senior fellow at the South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance (SIPG) of North South University (NSU)