DHAKA, 26 August 2007 — Businesses reopened and traffic chaos resumed in the streets of Bangladesh’s major cities yesterday as authorities relaxed a curfew imposed to quell days of violent anti-government demonstrations and announced the arrests of at least 144 people.
The restrictions were imposed on Wednesday after three days of anti-army student protests in the capital that spread to other cities in Bangladesh, which has been under emergency rule since January.
Cars and buses returned to streets yesterday that had earlier been deserted in the capital Dhaka and shops and businesses re-opened. Many people said they were relieved that the uncertainty caused by the violence appeared to be over.
“I don’t know anything about this student protest, but I know I could not earn money for the last three days,” said cycle rickshaw puller Muslim, 40. The government said the curfew — also lifted for most of Friday and for two hours on Thursday — was to be re-imposed at 11 p.m. yesterday until further notice, the government said in a statement.
The move came as police revealed at least 42 people, including 12 students, had been arrested by security forces for breaching the curfew.
Five university professors have also been detained in Dhaka and northwestern Rajshahi for their alleged involvement in the protests that spiraled out of control Wednesday, prompting the curfew.
Two of the academics arrested in the capital were remanded in custody by a court yesterday for four days, said Dhaka police chief Shahidul Islam.
Both have been critical of the army and the military-backed government since the protests - sparked by army personnel manhandling students on the Dhaka campus — began on Monday. The leader of the interim government, Fakhruddin Ahmed, has accused politically motivated thugs of hijacking the demonstrations in which one bystander was killed in Rajshahi and dozen of people injured.
Rights activists, however, cautioned the government yesterday against human rights abuses as it moved to contain the unrest.
Leading rights lawyer Sultana Kamal said although unlawful behavior by the protesters was unjustified, the government needed to protect human rights.
“I am concerned over the arrest of the five teachers,” said Kamal, director of the country’s foremost human rights group, the Law and Mediation Center.
“I hope the government will deal with the matter with utmost transparency.” At least 30 journalists and photographers have been beaten up during the curfew, according to a Bangladesh press body.
“The Bangladesh government must respect international human rights standards as it enforces a curfew and seeks to police demonstrations,” US-based Human Rights Watch said. Political analyst and former diplomat Mohammd Jamir also urged the government against abuses of power.
“The government took a much-needed measure essential to quell the violence which was unacceptable. No government can play the role of bystander when private property is being destroyed,” he said.
“But the government must not use the curfew and the emergency to avoid going through the due process of law,” he said.
Although the government agreed this week to close an army post at the university where the violence first erupted, the protests continued and spread to other colleges.
