2013 Bangladesh violence after ICT verdict

2013 Bangladesh violence
Location	Bangladesh
Date	28 February, 2013 –
Deaths	109
Injured	800+

2013 Bangladesh violence started on February 28, 2013 after the announcement of death sentence of Jamaat-e-Islami leader, Delwar Hossain Sayidee, who was accused for murder, arson, looting, rape, and forcefully converting minority people to Islam during the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war. . On Feb 28, Supporters of Sayidee's party Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami‎ and it's student wing Islami Chattra Shibir started a country-wide violence, which include attacking on police, minorities, setting fire on Hindu temple and vandalizing cars and government properties all over the country. On the following day March 01, the violence by Jamaat-Shibir continued 98,000 people have been sued for committing violence. To continue this violence Jamaat called for a 48 hour nationwide general strike from March 03, 2012 and their political ally Bangladesh Nationalist Party supported the strike and called for another daylong strike from March 05, 2012. In order to prevent attack on police and minorities and to avoid violence, Bangladeshi government imposed section 144 (curfew) in ten districts and deployed Border Guard Bangladesh.

Spoke man of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Mirza Fakhrul Islam said, "It was another form of mass killings." Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh Khaleda Zia said, "This government has surpassed all records of suppressing the opposition. We must protest."

Media coverage

Domestic and international media published the news of the riot with high importance.

CNN reported,

Riots claim dozens of lives after an Islamist leader's death sentence.

BBC quoted,

Bangladesh is now a burning hell. Everyone lives here with fear.

Al Jazeera headlined,

Bangladesh verdict sparks deadly protests.

International concern

The Human Rights Watch reported, "The police in Dhaka and other places used live ammunition against protesters. Media reports suggest that most deaths were at the hands of police, but supporters of the ruling Awami League party have also engaged in vandalism and violence."

United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon expressed his deep concern about the matter and said, "The government should instruct the security forces to strictly observe its obligation to use maximum restraint and avoid lethal force unless necessary to protect their lives or those of others. If cool heads don't prevail, Dhaka could dissolve into uncontrolled violence." The U.N. deputy spokesman Eduardo del Buey said, "The secretary-general recognizes the right of people to protest, and it's the responsibility of both the authorities and the people protesting to assure this is done in a very peaceful manner."

Previously, IUMS expressed their concern about the oppression by the government in the statement signed by Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi and Dr. Ali al-Qaradaghi that, "The International Union of Muslim Scholars is following, closely and with deep concern, the happenings and the latest developments in the Republic of Bangladesh [and what occurs] under the current government of violations of human rights, assault on those things which are sacred to the people, and the use of threat, punishment, and imprisonment in order to suppress freedoms. Many people were imprisoned because of their opinions and disagreement with the current government."

The British Hi-commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Gibson said, "I deplore the cruel and unwarranted attacks on places of worship and private property." He added, "This great achievement risks being undermined by the callous and unacceptable actions of a few. While every citizen has the right to mount a peaceful protest, intimidation and imposition of strikes disrupts the lives of all citizens and hampers the operation of legitimate business. This is sending a negative signal to the international community and those wishing to invest in Bangladesh."