Immunity for violence during anti-Hasina protests creates unrest – Firstpost

Hundreds of people died in the student-led revolution that toppled Bangladesh’s autocratic leader Sheikh Hasina, but those affected by the violence that followed fear the new authorities’ promises of justice will alienate them.

The family of 16-year-old Shahriar fears that those who beat their son into a coma will never be prosecuted after blanket immunity was imposed on protesters who took part in the riot.

On a ventilator in the intensive care unit of a hospital in Dhaka, the silent rise and fall of Shahriar’s chest is the only sign that he is alive.

“My child did not open his eyes or speak,” said his distraught father Abdul, using only his first name for fear of retaliation.

Abdul has barely slept since a mob stabbed his son in the head during widespread violence that broke out when Hasina fled into exile by helicopter to India on August 5.

Police blamed for a deadly crackdown on protesters that left more than 700 dead before Hasina’s downfall have gone into hiding.

Some of the resulting violence was fueled by revenge targeting those now seen as loyal to the overthrown regime.

At least 46 police officers were killed, members of Hasina’s Awami League party were lynched and buildings were set on fire, officials said.

Other attacks were motivated by greed or religious hatred.

‘Anarchy’

Abdul, from the minority Ahmadiyya Sufi sect of Muslims living in a village in Panchagarh district, fears that those who attacked his son will not be held responsible.

His son was playing outside when a mob attacked the village, setting fire to Ahmadiyya’s homes and looting his businesses.

“About 500 people carrying sticks and hammers attacked Ahmadiyya houses,” said Maulana Muhammad Salauddin, a member of the Ahmadiyya community who witnessed the violence.

“Anarchy continued for two hours,” he added. “Many took shelter in the mosque, some hid in the bushes or in the neighbor’s house.”

Leading human rights organization Ain O Salish Kendra reported that at least 318 people, including children, were killed between August 5 and August 8, when Hasina was ousted.

The Bangladesh Hindu, Buddhist, Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC) reported 2,010 incidents, including murder and rape, between August 4 and 20.

Among the many cases was that of those killed during the August 5 demolition of a museum at the home of Hasina’s father, Bangladesh’s first president, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Sukumar Biswas, a cobbler, said he saw “four burnt bodies” in front of the charred building.

He said their small size indicated “the three were children.”

Another victim, a woman from the Hindu minority, said she was raped on August 5 while her husband hid their three children.

The woman, who asked that her identity not be disclosed, said, “We did not seek justice out of fear.”

Some Bangladeshi Hindus, who make up less than a 10th of the population of 170 million, were targeted because they were perceived to support Hasina.

‘Autocratic and fascist’

But the new government granted protesters widespread immunity.

This includes not only the events during the revolution but also the three days after Hasina’s fall.

“A new journey towards a non-discriminatory Bangladesh has begun with the overthrow of an autocratic and fascist government,” interior ministry spokesman Faisal Hasan said while reading the order dated October 14.

Students and citizens who made every effort to ensure the success of this uprising will not face any investigation, arrest or harassment for their actions between July 15 and August 8.

In response, police were busy investigating the old regime and dozens of Hasina’s allies were arrested.

Finally, an arrest warrant was issued for 77-year-old fugitive Hasina, who was confirmed to be at a military air base near New Delhi, the capital of India.

Hasina’s 15-year rule has seen widespread human rights violations, including mass detentions and extrajudicial killings of her political opponents.

‘In any case’

But Nirmal Rozario of the BHBCUC religious council said justice should be for everyone.

“If the government wants to ensure good governance, it must investigate every case and prosecute the perpetrators,” Rozario said.

Human rights lawyer Sara Hossain called on the government to clarify its position, saying it was critical that the immunity ruling not be used to provide “compensation for all those involved in violent crimes”.

Hossain said neither attacks on minorities nor reprisals against political parties “can be considered protest-related actions”.

Shahriar’s family is waiting for a sign in the hospital ward.

Heartbroken, Abdul spends his days staring at his son from outside the room, with his wife usually sneaking in during the allowed 30-minute visiting period each day.

“I spend all day on the balcony just to see him,” he said.