Bangladesh arrests 1,300 in crackdown on pro-Hasina protests

Bangladesh police arrested more than 1,300 people amid reports of mob violence over the weekend.

Tensions have flared since mass protests brought down the government of embattled Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August last year.

Last week, demonstrators destroyed the house of her father and the founding father of the country, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. 

The attack was sparked by a speech that Hasina planned to give supporters from exile in India. 

A cycle of vengeance 

"There is anger because of her actions and refusal to atone for them... People are angry about repression and corruption," Michael Kugelman, an expert on South Asia politics, told DW.

Some of Hasina's supporters have tried to gather at buildings that represent her government but have been attacked by critics.

The student-led movement that overthrew Hasina's government has voiced plans to dismantle the country's 1972 Constitution, which they argue embodies the legacy of her father's rule.

Hasina's government was accused of years of repressive rule and her ouster came after weeks of relentless protests and clashes with security forces.

Interim government arrests more than a thousand people

The interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, appealed for calm following the attack on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's house.

Hours later, members of the main student-led movement that ousted Hasina were attacked in the district of Gazipur near Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, and students demanded action.

Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, head of the Interior Ministry in the interim government, vowed the operations will continue "until we uproot the devils."

Police spokesman Inamul Haque Sagar said more than "1,308 people were arrested across the country." But some have raised concerns.

Supreme Court lawyer says more arrests do not lead to stability 

A Supreme Court lawyer, Snehadri Rintu, told DW that while operations are often justified as efforts to "restore" law and order, "past experience shows that they frequently lead to violations of fundamental rights."

"The real answer lies in public awareness and collective resistance against all forms of injustice," he said. 

Edited by: Natalie Muller