Political violence has intensified, with 16 of the 20 killings that took place in March resulting from growing infighting of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its front organisations.
The number of murders in political violence for January and February was 16, eight each in the months.
Of the 36 killings in political violence in the first three months, 26 or over 72 per cent of the total deaths were reported due to BNP and its front organisations鈥� internal conflicts, according to rights organisation Ain O Salish Kendra data uploaded on its website on Tuesday.
The data shows that at least 20 people were killed and 642 were injured in 71 incidents of political violence in March.
Reports received from different corners across the country, establishing supremacy, occupying different properties and areas and toll collection are the main reasons behind the factional clashes.
Of the 20 deaths in March, 16 were reported in BNP and its front organisations鈥� factional clashes, three in Awami League-BNP clashes and one in a clash between the Awami League and its youth front Juba League.
BNP standing committee member Nazrul Islam Khan told 抖阴精品 on Thursday that some BNP leaders and activists were locking in internal clashes as they thought that the election was nearing after 16 years of the fascist Sheikh Hasina regime when the party leaders and activists had to endure immense torture.
鈥榃e do not expect even one death but such internal聽 conflicts were common in a big political party like the BNP as the party had leaders and activists even in the remote areas,鈥� he said.
The BNP policymaking leader said that the party was taking organisational action against the leaders and activists involved in factional feud.
Political leaders and analysts said that the number of clashes would come down after the formation of a political government through a long-desired free and fair election.
They also blamed power politics, the absence of following ideology in doing politics, corruption, looting, and the criminalisation of politics behind the growing political violence.
Dhaka University political science professor Dil Rowshan Zinnat Ara Nazneen observed that clashes and conflicts were occurring as people鈥檚 demands and expectations had increased manifolds in the changed political scenario.
She said that the demands had increased as people could not raise their voices during the AL regime.
鈥楤NP central leaders do not have any control over the grassroots leaders and activists. I think that the clashes would come down following the much-expected general elections as people could not cast votes in the past elections,鈥� said the DU teacher.
The Awami League came to power through December 29, 2008 general election and later held three controversial national elections in 2014, 2018 and 2024 in which the AL won.
The AL was ousted from power on August 5, 2024 amid a student-led mass uprising. Professor Muhammad Yunus-led interim government was formed on August 8, 2024.
The number of political violence came down following the 12th parliamentary elections held on January 7, 2024. The number increased after the August 5, 2024 political changeover.
A total of 100 people were killed in political violence in 2024. Of them, 44 were reported between January and July and 56 were reported between August and December, according to ASK data.
The data showed that, in the past year, 20 were killed in political violence in January, the month of the 12th parliamentary elections, one in February, two in March, four in April, six in May, eight in June, three in July, 15 in August, 16 in September, four in October, nine in November and 12 were killed in December.
On Thursday, Sheikh Abu Taleb, a member of the conference preparation committee of the BNP鈥檚 Paikgachha upazila unit in Khulna, submitted a letter to the party acting chairman alleging that another member of the conference preparation committee, M Shahadat Hossain Dablu, was involved in extortion, threatening to kill people and grabbing canals and shrimp enclosures in the upazila鈥檚 Nasirpur area.
In the letter, Taleb alleged that Dablu, a former chairman of the upazila鈥檚 Kapilmuni union parishad, was involved in committing misdeeds engaging Bangladesh Chhatra League and Juba League leaders and activists since the August 5 political changeover.
Denying the allegations, M Shahadat Hossain Dablu claimed himself to be innocent and said that it was a conspiracy against him over party鈥檚 internal grouping.
鈥楾aleb is grabbing canal and putting the blame on me,鈥� he added.
On March 26, a 40-year-old man was killed and several others injured in a clash between two factions of the BNP over the formation of new party committees in Baraiyarhat municipality in Chattogram.
On February 1, Md Selim Bhuiyan, the president of the Hensakhal union unit of Jatiyatabadi Swechhasebak Dal, was killed and five others injured, in a factional clash over establishing supremacy in Nangalkot upazila in Cumilla.
On April 22, an activist of Jatiyatabadi Juba Dal was shot dead in the Gazipara Bazar area under Raujan upazila in Chattogram.
The deceased, Mohammad Ibrahim, 27, son of Md Alam of Gazipara under the upazila, is known as a supporter of BNP vice chairman Gias Uddin Quader Chowdhury.
On April 20, Juba Dal activist Mohammad Manik Abdullah was shot dead in Garib Ullahpara village under the upazila.
On March 15, Juba Dal activist Komor Uddin Jitu, 36, was beaten and hacked to death at Raujan upazila in Chattogram.
ASK chairman and Supreme Court lawyer ZI Khan Panna blamed the existing political culture that is, in most cases, devoid of ideology behind such clashes.
鈥楢 new opportunist group has been created following the fall of the Awami League regime. The group is now vocal but did not utter a single word during the Sheikh Hasina regime,鈥� he pointed out.
Former Communist Party of Bangladesh president Mujahidul Islam Selim said that the violence would continue to increase until the elimination of corruption, looting and social criminalisation from politics.
He said that the interim government would have to move forward to hold a free and fair general election to end political violence and other instabilities.
