Police in Bangladesh have arrested the deputy leader of the country’s main opposition party following two days of protests that left four dead and dozens more injured.
Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, secretary-general of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), was arrested Tuesday after leaving the National Press Club in the capital, Dhaka, where he had taken shelter.
His detention comes as BNP Chief Khaleda Zia remains confined to her office in Dhaka by police seeking to prevent her from joining opposition protests.
Thousands of police have been deployed across the city as opposition protests enter a second day. Four anti-government protesters were killed Monday in Bangladesh in clashes with security forces.
The demonstrations mark the anniversary of last year’s general election, which brought the Awami League party of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to power for a second consecutive term. The vote was boycotted by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and 19 other opposition parties that claimed the outcome would be rigged.
The political rivalry intensified recently when Prime Minister Hasina announced rallies to celebrate the anniversary of her re-election, and Khaleda called for anti-government protests.
Source: VOA