4,000 Bangladesh activists charged in crackdown: opposition

DHAKA: Thousands of party activists in Bangladesh have been hit with “fake” charges of violence in a widespread crackdown by authorities, the opposition said on Monday as an international rights group expressed concerns.

Opponents of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina -- whose government faces a general election next year and is accused of rights abuses -- have held protests across the country in recent months over power cuts and demanding a poll under a neutral caretaker government.

Some of the demonstrations have been marred by violence. Sairul Kabir Khan, a spokesman for the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), said that since August 22, police had charged at least 4,081 named party supporters and leaders in what he called trumped-up or “fake” cases over the violence.

Another 20,000 unidentified BNP supporters had also been charged, he added -- a tactic that rights activists say gives police sweeping power to harass any opposition supporters who may or may not have attended a rally.

Five activists have been killed and more than 2,000 injured at the protests, Khan told AFP. Police had not intervened when BNP rallies came under violent attack, mostly by stick-wielding ruling Awami League activists, but “if we retaliate, then they start reacting”, he said.

“The police are not a neutral force,” Khan added. Police say four people have died in at least three protests, but accused the opposition of triggering the violence. Khan´s comments came as New York-based Human Rights Watch on Monday raised concerns over “mass arrests and police raids of opposition party members´ homes”.