Bangladesh’s main opposition leader Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir charged with murder

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Bangladesh’s main opposition leader, was charged with murder on Sunday (Oct 29) and sent to jail, amidst concerns over a crackdown on dissent by the ruling Sheikh Hasina government ahead of the general elections.

Along with Alamgir, at least 154 members of his Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) were accused of murdering a police officer during the anti-government protests.

"At least 164 Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) including Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir were accused of murdering the police officer," police officer Salahuddin Mia told AFP news agency on Sunday.

Among the arrested are the senior echelons of the BNP leadership, who potentially face the death penalty if they are found guilty.

Earlier, he was brought before the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's court, during which an investigating officer requested he be kept in jail for the sake of investigation, while his lawyer applied for bail.

Alamgir denied bail

After hearing both sides, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Shafi Uddin turned down the bail plea and granted the police's request.

The development comes hours after Alamgir was detained for interrogation for Saturday’s violence

Dhaka police commissioner Habibur Rahman had earlier said Alamgir had been "detained for interrogation" for Saturday's violence in which a police officer and a protester were killed, and at least 26 police ambulances were torched or damaged.

Police on Saturday said the officer had been hacked to death and accused BNP activists of the killing.

Anti-Hasina protests

The anti-government protests have been going on for the past few weeks after Prime Minister Hasina put the party’s ailing leader and two-time former premier Khaleda Zia under house arrest and refused to give her permission to leave Bangladesh on medical grounds.

Zia was arrested and jailed, and her son went into exile in Britain, following corruption charges.

Since then, Alamgir, 75, the BNP's secretary-general, has been leading the party in Zia’s absence.

The BNP and its allies have been calling for Hasina's resignation. They want power to be transferred to a non-partisancaretaker government to oversee upcominggeneral elections.

(With inputs from agencies)

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