Bangladesh police detain 300 Jamaat-e-Islami party members

Two Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, including the acting chief, were among those detained for inciting violence.


Reuters September 20, 2011
Bangladesh police detain 300 Jamaat-e-Islami party members

DHAKA: Bangladeshi police detained about 300 members of the country's biggest religious party on Tuesday, a day after violent clashes across the country.

Two Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, including the acting chief, were among those detained for inciting the violence on Monday in which more than 150 people were injured.

The violence started in the capital and spread quickly to other places including Chittagong port city, police and witnesses said.

Jamaat called for street marches on Monday to demand the release of the party's top leaders who have been held in prison for months, awaiting trial for alleged crimes committed during Bangladesh's 1971 war of independence from Pakistan.

The party denies the charges and has vowed to free its leaders, and supports a campaign by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist party (BNP), led by former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia, to oust the government.

Security forces also detained the editor of a pro-Jamaat newspaper, Daink Sangram, Abul Asad, leading to protests by some journalists who called for his release.

The BNP has called for a countrywide general strike on Thursday to protest against police actions and oppose recent fuel oil price hikes.

Jamaat and several smaller parties also support the proposed strike.

COMMENTS (7)

M.h. Shibli | 13 years ago | Reply

No matter it is against jamaat or bnp or awamiligue, we must remember that we should respect the democratic right of every party or every person. This police action against jamaat will not give good result for awami ligue. It is already proved in 1972-1975 action against jsd. We should change our ill mentality

Cynical | 13 years ago | Reply

@Bangladeshi

You will have all that you want, just come over to Pakistan.

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