New Delhi: The UK government has called for a United Nations-led investigation into the violence and protests in Bangladesh that forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee the country. Canada, too, has called for a “full and impartial” probe.
Meanwhile, the US has welcomed the new interim government in Dhaka and called for “accountability” of alleged human rights violations during the protests.
Amid speculation that Hasina may fly to London, the UK government did not comment on the subject, nor on whether she had made any request for asylum.
“The people of Bangladesh deserve a full and independent UN-led investigation into the events of the past few weeks,” said David Lammy, the newly-appointed UK Secretary from the Labour Party which stormed to power in the recently-held British elections. “The UK wants to see action taken to ensure Bangladesh a peaceful and democratic future.”
Hours after she resigned as prime minister and fled Bangladesh Monday, Hasina arrived in India and met National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval and other top officials at the Hindon Air Base. The same evening, Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman officially announced her resignation in a televised address to the nation, adding an interim government was in the process of being formed.
The army chief held extended talks with political parties from the opposition, namely the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Jamaat-e-Islami. However, representatives from Hasina’s Awami League were not present.
‘Accountability under Bangladeshi law’
The Biden administration has called for an end to the violence that erupted weeks ago when student activists rose in rebellion against a controversial quota rule that reserved 30 percent of government jobs for the kin of those who participated in Bangladesh’s fight for independence in 1971. Nearly 300 people died in the deadly clashes that followed, spurred by the Hasina government’s brutal crackdown on protesters.
“As to what accountability looks like, that’s something that should take place under Bangladeshi law. Anyone responsible for acts of violence, acts that break the law, should be held accountable for them,” said US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller in a press briefing.
“We are monitoring the situation carefully… Too many lives have been lost over the course of the past several weeks, and we urge calm and restraint in the days ahead. We welcome the announcement of an interim government and urge any transition be conducted in accordance with Bangladesh’s laws,” he added.
Melanie Joly, Canada’s foreign minister, condemned the alleged human rights violations. She also criticised the Internet blockade and the “lethal force” unleashed by the Awami League government on agitators before the Bangladesh PM fled the country Monday.
“Canada strongly condemns the human rights violations, deaths, torture, arbitrary arrests and lethal force used against the people of Bangladesh in recent weeks. We reiterate our deep condolences to all those impacted,” Joly said in a statement.
My statement following resignation of Bangladesh’s Prime Minister: pic.twitter.com/fYpWjjEQAM
— Mélanie Joly (@melaniejoly) August 6, 2024
“It is vital that all those arrested in recent weeks be accorded due process in the justice system and that a full and impartial investigation be pursued to ensure accountability for crimes committed,” Joly stated.
Hasina left the country after thousands of student activists marched to Dhaka defying a nationwide curfew Monday morning. The deadly protests against the job quota had escalated into a movement to oust the 76-year-old Awami League leader.
Widespread violence the day before killed nearly 100 people, in addition to the over 150 who were killed last month. At least six people were dead Monday morning in fights between protesters in the Jatrabari and Dhaka Medical College areas, local reports said.
Ganabhaban, the official residence of the former prime minister, was also vandalised by agitators.
In his address, Uz-Zaman asked the people to trust the army and appealed for calm, promising to thoroughly investigate every death that had taken place in the weeks-long protests.
(Edited by Tikli Basu)
Also read: Scattered reports emerge of attacks against Hindus in Bangladesh after Sheikh Hasina’s resignation