In its most urgent and scathing statement yet on the situation in Bangladesh ahead of elections, Human Rights Watch has called on Dhaka’s diplomatic partners to “raise the alarm” in their home capitals, over the authorities here ‘targeting opposition leaders and supporters ahead of the general elections slated for January 7, 2024’.

In a statement released Monday entitled ‘Bangladesh: Violent Autocratic Crackdown Ahead of Elections,’ the advocacy group said the government is claiming to commit to free and fair elections with diplomatic partners, while simultaneously the state authorities are filling prisons with members of the political opposition.

HRW calls for probe into allegations of enforced disappearances, torture in Bangladesh

“Almost 10,000 opposition activists have been arrested since a planned rally by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) on October 28. At least 16 people have been killed during ongoing violence, including 2 police officers. Over 5,500 people have been injured,” the statement recounted.

Julia Bleckner, senior Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch, said: “Diplomatic partners should make clear that the government’s autocratic crackdown will jeopardise future economic cooperation.”

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Based on interviews with 13 witnesses and analysis of videos and police reports, HRW claimed to have found evidence that security forces are responsible for using excessive force, mass arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings in a recent spate of election-related violence.

The statement goes on to say the police’s impartiality and ability to uphold the rule of law is undermined “when they carry out raids alongside Awami League activists.” HRW claims to have videos and witness reports showing “disturbing evidence of coordination between the police and the Awami League supporters” in threatening and targeting opposition party activists.

It said the prime minister should call for an immediate end to political and unlawful arrests, while quoting the BNP’s claim that about half of its five million members face politically motivated prosecution. It also carries claims by an unnamed spokesperson of the AB Party as saying their supporters are “in hiding due to nightly police raids.”

Govt rejects HRW statement over alleged crackdown on opposition

The government's ‘abuses’, according to HRW, put into question its eligibility for the EU’s “Everything But Arms” trade program, as well as the upcoming Generalised Scheme of Preferences+ (GSP Plus) arrangement, that Dhaka plans to apply for.

“A free election is impossible when the government stifles free expression and systematically incapacitates the opposition, critics, and activists through arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearance, harassment, and intimidation,” Bleckner said, adding: “Instead of stoking violence and jailing her critics, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina should call for an immediate end to arbitrary political arrests and make clear that enforced disappearances, torture, and killings by security forces will not be tolerated.”