Students and Journalists Demand Protection as Violence Escalates in Bangladesh, Warn of Rising Extremism and Breakdown of Law and Order
Dhaka | Agency: Amid continuing violence in Bangladesh, anger and anxiety are steadily mounting. Student groups and journalists have warned the government about the deteriorating situation and have demanded assurances for their safety.
The student wing of the Awami League, the Bangladesh Students’ League (BSL), has appealed to the international community to play a constructive role in ensuring that the upcoming general elections are free, fair, and inclusive.
At the same time, editors and journalists have raised serious concerns over press freedom and sought protection for media professionals.
On Monday, minority groups staged protests in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district against the killing of a Hindu youth.
The demonstrations highlighted growing fears among minority communities over targeted violence.
‘Murder of Hindu Youth Reflects Government Failure’
The student organisation said the most horrifying crime occurred in the Bhaluka upazila of Mymensingh district, where a Hindu youth, Dipuchandra Das, was allegedly tied to a tree, beaten to death over false blasphemy accusations, and his body subsequently burnt.
The group said that such brutality, carried out without any investigation or due legal process, starkly exposes the government’s failure.
The organisation also expressed concern over repeated attacks on Indian diplomatic missions in Chattogram, Rajshahi, and Khulna, calling them deeply alarming developments.
Bangladesh Sliding Into Chaos: Student Body
The Bangladesh Students’ League strongly criticised the interim government led by Mohammad Yunus, accusing it of imposing mob rule through illegal and unconstitutional means.
According to the BSL, Bangladesh is rapidly descending into disorder and chaos, with extremism on the rise and law and order collapsing.
In a statement, the student body said incidents of mob violence, arson, attacks, enforced disappearances, and brutal killings have increased sharply in recent times.
These, it said, are neither isolated nor spontaneous acts but the direct outcome of a well-planned campaign of riots and destruction during July–August 2024.
That campaign, the group alleged, led to the fall of the constitutionally elected government headed by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League.
The statement further claimed that after the removal of the Hasina-led Awami League government, constitutional governance was systematically replaced by mob rule characterised by organised violence, fear, and complete impunity.
Rule of Law Has Collapsed
The BSL said that attacks on media houses, cultural organisations, and minority communities clearly demonstrate that the rule of law no longer exists in Bangladesh.
The country, it is alleged, is being deliberately pushed towards managed chaos, administrative failure, and a fear-driven authoritarian system.
Condemning recent arson attacks on the offices of leading Bangladeshi newspapers, the student body said these incidents amounted to a direct fascist assault on press freedom.
No Clue Yet About Hadi’s Killer
Meanwhile, police said they currently have no information about the whereabouts of the main suspect in the killing of prominent youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi.
This statement came a day after Hadi’s party issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the interim government, demanding the immediate arrest of those responsible for his murder.
Russia Urges Bangladesh to Reduce Tensions With India
The situation in Bangladesh remains tense, with bilateral relations with India also under strain.
Several incidents have been reported in which India’s diplomatic mission in Bangladesh was targeted, and anti-India slogans were raised.
Against this backdrop, Russia has urged Bangladesh to de-escalate tensions.
Russia’s ambassador to Bangladesh, Alexander Grigoryevich Khozin, appealed for efforts to reduce tensions so that a positive environment can be created ahead of the national elections scheduled for February 12 next year.
He also emphasised the need for Bangladesh to ease tensions with India.
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