Rival political groups in Bangladesh clashed on Sunday as former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League party attempted to hold a rally in the capital city of Dhaka. The rally was planned to commemorate the death of a party activist in 1987, which had sparked a mass protest against former military dictator H.M. Ershad, leading to his ousting in 1990.
The day of the rally is known as 'democracy day' in Bangladesh, marking the country's transition to a parliamentary democracy in 1991. Since then, Hasina and her rival, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, have been prominent political figures in the nation.
However, the rally faced opposition from activists of Zia's party and members of the conservative Jamaat-e-Islami party, who took to the streets of Dhaka to block the event. Student protesters and other groups also joined in, expressing their disapproval of Hasina's party attempting a comeback through the rally.
The situation escalated as protesters surrounded the Awami League party's headquarters in Dhaka, where Hasina's supporters were supposed to gather. Security was tight, but clashes broke out as protesters attacked Hasina's supporters, leading to several detentions by the police.
Tensions remained high throughout the day, with anti-Hasina protesters adamant about preventing the party from holding any public rally. The Awami League party shared videos on social media showing their supporters being targeted and their headquarters being vandalized.
Amid the political turmoil, Zia's party called for reforms and a new election under an interim government led by Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus. The government expressed intentions to seek extradition of Hasina and her associates on charges of crimes against humanity related to the deaths of protesters during the recent uprising.
