The opposition leaders and activists of Bangladesh have been repressed and harassed by the BAL (Bangladesh Awami League)-led government for years. According to available newspapers, opposition political parties in Bangladesh — a south Asian country — were halted from their political demonstrations many times in the last decade, even if they can participate in rallies more in recent months. The government represses opposition leaders and activists in many areas of the country, especially before any major political rallies and elections, probably for thwarting the demonstrations of opposition and securing electoral wins. Though opposition parties get more freedom recently, it remains unclear whether they will enjoy their freedom or they will not be repressed and harassed before the next parliamentary election.
It is pertinently notable that the repression and harassment of the opposition, which has created significant hindrances to developing a more acceptable and tolerant political culture needed for the economic, political and other sorts of development of the country, is not new in Bangladesh. Many past governments repressed the opposition parties. During the BNP-led government from 2001-2006, the leaders and activists of the then Awami League were repressed and harassed. During the BAL government, opposition leaders and activists are repressed and harassed. Definitely, there are differences in the tactics and the rigor of political repression and harassment, an unacceptable political culture. But the long-term power of the BAL, from 2008 to date, has provided it more opportunities to repress more for a long time.
In the repression and harassment, the current government has taken several effective tactics. Filing cases and arrests are the most used tactics. Thousands of opposition leaders and activists — according to several newspapers — are facing cases and they are arrested when opposition parties including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party manage to carry out large-scale political demonstrations for realizing their demands including the credible election, the lack of which has caused the opposition to continue its protests against the government for more than a decade and remain non-participatory in the 2014 parliamentary election. In the latest divisional rally in Dhaka, Mirza Fakhrul Islam, the Secretary General of the BNP, was arrested that weakened the spirit of the party, though it held the rally elsewhere in Dhaka.
Among other tactics, the use of force by law enforcement agencies and party leaders and activists is notable. According to available newspapers, law enforcement agencies have thwarted peaceful demonstrations many times, sometimes without any provocation from protesters, though the dispersal of some protest movements including large-scale movements was caused by subversive activities. Moreover, the BAL leaders and activists often obstruct and carry out attacks on the rallies of opposition parties. But, more importantly, the leaders and activists of the ruling party carry out attacks on the rallies of the opposition in the presence of law-enforcement agencies. Many such attacks, a culture that is dangerously destructive to the politics of Bangladesh, are carried out in Dhaka and other cities, though reduced recently.
Definitely, the repression and harassment of opposition leaders led to many undesired consequences in politics and other aspects. Repression has made one of the most influential political parties such as the BNP almost politically inactive for years, narrowed down the scope of opposition politics and reduced the chance of the desired development of the parliamentary political system — a constitutionalized political system in Bangladesh —for which the country has been struggling for several decades. Among negative impacts, it has undesirably increased the already present mistrust among the opposition parties over the government, which is in power for years through several acceptable and unacceptable elections including two fiercely-criticized parliamentary elections held in 2014 and 2018, at least a bit more.
The political culture of the repression and harassment of the opposition is desired to be completely ended in Bangladesh. Definitely, the running BAL government needs to end its systematic repression and harassment of opposition leaders and activists, provide the opportunity for their political activities including holding peaceful rallies and give a rethought to all harassment-oriented cases filed against opposition leaders and activists, as is often claimed by opposition parties. Moreover, the government needs to acceptably resolve the undesired problem of holding credible elections, which deprive many of casting their votes, in discussions with opposition parties. But the government needs to be earnest in this respect. Cooperation from opposition parties is also imperative.
