logo
Bangladeshi forces clash with supporters of ousted leader Hasina, leaving at least 4 dead

Bangladeshi forces clash with supporters of ousted leader Hasina, leaving at least 4 dead

Washington Post16-07-2025
DHAKA, Bangladesh — Bangladeshi security forces on Wednesday clashed with supporters of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina , leaving at least four people dead and scores injured, a hospital official and local media said.
The violence erupted in the morning and spread as a new political party formed by students who led the uprising against Hasina in August last year announced a march toward southwestern Gopalganj district, Hasina's ancestral home, and her Awami League party's stronghold.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Migrant hotel threatens closure if just asylum-seeking men are housed on site
Migrant hotel threatens closure if just asylum-seeking men are housed on site

Yahoo

time10 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Migrant hotel threatens closure if just asylum-seeking men are housed on site

A migrant hotel has warned it will close if the Home Office begins placing men at the site instead of families. The Park Hotel in Diss, Norfolk, said it is currently contracted to accommodate families only and has made clear to the Home Office that it 'will have no alternative but to close' if that changes. In the statement shared to social media the hotel said: 'The Park Hotel has been contracted by the Home Office to provide accommodation for families. 'This arrangement presently remains in place, despite recent public statements suggesting otherwise. 'We have advised the Home Office and other stakeholders that should this situation change, and we are formally notified that the hotel will no longer operate as a family-only establishment, we will have no alternative but to close the Hotel.' It said there are currently 'vulnerable families and children staying at the hotel – many of whom are feeling frightened and uncertain about recent events at the Hotel and their futures'. 'We ask for understanding and sensitivity from both the public and the media during this time, as we continue to provide support to those in our accommodation,' the statement added. It comes amid mounting local tensions over the use of the hotel to house asylum seekers, with around 60 protesters gathering outside the premises on Wednesday night to voice their anger at the Government's decision. They were met by around 30 counter-protesters from campaign group Stand Up to Racism, who held signs reading 'refugees welcome'. The Home Office has not commented directly on the hotel's warning but has previously said the use of hotels is a temporary measure and all placements are made following risk assessments. The hotel has long served as a local business and venue for tourism, weddings and events. The Park Hotel refused to comment when approached by the PA news agency.

Sixteen arrested after protest outside migrant hotel in Epping
Sixteen arrested after protest outside migrant hotel in Epping

Yahoo

time12 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Sixteen arrested after protest outside migrant hotel in Epping

Police have arrested 16 people after a protest outside a migrant hotel last week. Essex Police said a small number of people had used a peaceful demonstration last Thursday as cover to commit violent disorder and criminal damage. The protest, outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, began peacefully but escalated into what officers described as 'scattered incidents of violence' targeting police and property. Eight officers were injured and a number of police vehicles were damaged as missiles were thrown. Six people have been charged, including Kenneth Blissett, 34, of Long Banks, Harlow, Essex, who was charged on Thursday with theft of police equipment and possession of an offensive weapon. He remains on bail and will appear at Colchester Magistrates' Court on September 30. Another man in his 20s was detained at an address in Harlow at about 5.45pm on Wednesday on suspicion of violent disorder. He remains in custody for questioning and police say they have seized evidence from the scene. Officers are also appealing for information about two men they want to speak to in connection with the violence. Martin Peagram, 33, who has links to Stansted, Essex, is described as 6ft, of slim build, with short brown hair and facial stubble. Philip Curson, 52, who has no fixed address, is 5ft 8in, stocky, with short brown hair and full tattoo sleeves on both arms, as well as tattoos on his neck. Essex Police said they are no longer seeking Shaun Thompson, 37, who was arrested on suspicion of violent disorder and remains in custody. Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Hooper said: 'We'd promised that we'd continue our investigations into the unacceptable actions of a small number of people who chose to take advantage of peaceful protest to try to cause harm to people in Epping or to property. 'We've been analysing footage and we have investigators and trained detectives working on this operation. 'We are identifying suspects and there will be more arrests in the coming days. 'Put simply, if you turn up to try to cause trouble, you won't get away with it.' Detectives have also released body-worn video showing one of the arrests. The latest developments come as police are braced for further protests, and the Government and law enforcement have vowed to act swiftly if unrest spreads. The Epping protest was sparked by the charging of asylum-seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, with sexual assault after he allegedly attempted to kiss a 14-year-old girl. He denied the charge at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court and will stand trial in August. The protest has drawn national attention and sparked a political row, with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage calling for Essex Police Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington to resign over claims that officers transported left-wing protesters to the scene, claims the chief constable has denied.

‘Shoot them': Sheikh Hasina ordered firing on Bangladesh protesters in 2024
‘Shoot them': Sheikh Hasina ordered firing on Bangladesh protesters in 2024

Yahoo

time12 hours ago

  • Yahoo

‘Shoot them': Sheikh Hasina ordered firing on Bangladesh protesters in 2024

Former prime minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, 'issued an open order' to 'use lethal weapons' on students protesting against her government's policies last year and shoot 'wherever they find them', her secret phone call recordings, accessed by Al Jazeera, have revealed. Hasina, who ruled Bangladesh for 15 years, resigned from office and fled to India on August 5 after weeks of bloody protests and brutal action by government forces killed nearly 1,400 people and wounded more than 20,000, according to the country's International Criminal Tribunal (ICT). The Al Jazeera Investigative Unit (I-Unit) had the recordings analysed by audio forensic experts to check for AI manipulation, and the callers were identified by voice matching. In one call, recorded on July 18 by the National Telecommunications Monitoring Centre (NTMC), Hasina told an ally that she had ordered her security forces to use lethal force. 'My instructions have already been given. I've issued an open order completely. Now they will use lethal weapons, shoot wherever they find them,' she said.. 'That has been instructed. I have stopped them so far … I was thinking about the students' safety.' Later in the call with Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, the mayor of Dhaka South and a relative of Hasina, the former PM talks about using helicopters to control demonstrations. 'Wherever they notice any gathering, it's from above – now it's being done from above – it has already started in several places. It has begun. Some [protesters] have moved.' At the time, Bangladeshi security forces had denied firing on protesters from the air, but Shabir Sharif, an accident and emergency doctor at the Popular Medical College Hospital in Dhaka, told the I-Unit that shots were fired from a helicopter 'targeting our hospital entrance'. He added that doctors attended to student protesters with unusual bullet wounds. 'The bullets entered either the shoulder or the chest, and they all remained inside the body. We were receiving more of these types of patients at that time,' he said. 'When we looked at the X-rays, we were surprised because there were huge bullets.' Al Jazeera has not been able to verify what type of bullets were used. Dr Shabir Sharif [Al Jazeera] The calls may be presented by prosecutors as evidence before the ICT, which has charged Hasina, her ministers and security officials with crimes against humanity. Hasina and two other officials were indicted on July 10, and the trial is scheduled to begin in August. Hasina's surveillance network, the NTMC, recorded these conversations. The NTMC has previously been accused of spying on not just opposition figures but even Hasina's political allies. Tajul Islam, chief prosecutor for the ICT, said the former prime minister knew she was being recorded. 'In some cases, the other side [would say we] … 'should not discuss this over telephone'. And the reply was from the prime minister, 'Yes, I know, I know, I know, I know, it is being recorded, no problem.'' 'She has dug a very deep ditch for others. Now she's in the ditch,' Islam said. Student protests started peacefully in June 2024 after the high court reintroduced an unpopular quota system that reserved state jobs for the families of veterans who fought in Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971. Many students felt the system favoured supporters of the ruling Awami League party, which had led the freedom movement, and that many jobs in the civil service were not awarded on merit. On July 16, student protester Abu Sayed was shot dead by police in the northern city of Rangpur. His death was a turning point in the July uprising, leading to a national outcry and intensifying the protests. In one secret phone recording of Hasina's ally and economics adviser, Salman F Rahman, he is heard trying to get hold of Sayed's postmortem report. During the call, Rahman quizzes inspector general of police, Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, wanting to know what had happened to the report. 'Why is it taking so long to get the postmortem report? Who's playing hide and seek? Rangpur Medical?' he asked, referring to Rangpur Medical College and Hospital, which was carrying out the autopsy on Sayed. Rangpur Medical College Hospital's Dr Rajibul Islam told Al Jazeera that police forced him to change Sayed's postmortem report five times to remove any reference to multiple bullet wounds. 'They wanted to write a report stating that Abu Sayed Bhai died due to injuries from stone-throwing … [whereas] he died from police bullets.' Twelve days after Sayed's death, his family were flown to Dhaka for a televised event with the prime minister. In all, about 40 families were gathered – all of them had relatives killed in the protests. 'Hasina forced us to come to Ganabhaban,' said Sayed's father, Maqbul Hossain, referring to the PM's residence. 'They forced us to come; otherwise, they might have tortured us in another way.' As the cameras recorded the event, Hasina handed out money to each family. She told Sayed's sister, Sumi Khatun: 'We will deliver justice to your family.' Khatun replied to the PM: 'It was shown in the video that the police shot him. What is there to investigate here? Coming here was a mistake.' In a statement to Al Jazeera, an Awami League spokesperson said Hasina had never used the phrase 'lethal weapons', and did not specifically authorise the security forces to use lethal force. 'This [Hasina's phone] recording is either cherry-picked, doctored or both.' The statement added that government efforts to investigate Abu Sayed's death were 'genuine'.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store