Opposition leader arrested in Bangladesh after violent clashes at rally

Dhaka: In Dhaka, Bangladesh, a senior leader of the Opposition BNP was arrested by the police on Sunday, following violent clashes at an anti-government rally organized by the party, which resulted in two fatalities.

These events have increased tensions in the country as it approaches the general elections scheduled for January.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the secretary general of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was apprehended at his residence in the Gulshan neighbourhood.

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The clashes during the rallies held by both ruling and opposition parties in Dhaka led to the deaths of a Bangladeshi policeman and a BNP activist, with over 200 people, including security personnel, sustaining injuries.

The BNP, led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, held a significant rally demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to enable free and fair elections under a non-party interim government.

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In response, Prime Minister Hasina's party organized a peace rally. The BNP has called for a nationwide strike in response to the police action, which forced the premature conclusion of its grand rally.

Simultaneously, Prime Minister Hasina's ruling Awami League has directed its party units to stage peace rallies across the country.

Unfortunately, violence persisted in the country on Sunday, with reports of a helper of a bus being killed as unidentified individuals set fire to a stationary bus.