Bangladesh amid clashes between protesters, police

Content: www.thenews.com.pk

Activists of the Hifazat-e Islam group shout slogans next to the dead bodies of other activists outside the Chittagong medical college hospital in Chittagong on March 26, 2021 following clashes with police during a demonstration against Indian Prime minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bangladesh. — AFP/Mohammad Minhaj Uddin

CHITTAGONG: Four supporters of a religious group were shot dead in Bangladesh on Friday in violent demonstrations over Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's tour to Dhaka, officials said.

It comes as Bangladesh marks 50 years of independence  with celebrations focused on its economic achievements, which activist groups say have been overshadowed by rights abuses.

Police said four bodies of members of Hefazat-e-Islam were brought to Chittagong Medical College Hospital after violence erupted at Hathazari, a rural town where the group's main leaders are based.

"We got four bodies here. They are all hit with bullets. Three of them are madrasa students and another a tailor," Alauddin Talukder, a police inspector at the hospital, told AFP.

He said at least four other demonstrators were critically injured but did not say who opened fire.

Ruhul Amin, the government administrator of Hathazari town, claimed up to 1,500 supporters of Hefazat attacked a police station chanting anti-Modi slogans.

"They attacked us all of a sudden," he said, without confirming whether any protesters were killed.

Hathazari is home to one of Bangladesh's largest madrasas and is the headquarters of the Hefazat, which was formed in 2010.

Hefazat spokesman Mir Idris accused police of "opening fire" at their "peaceful" supporters.

"There were some 5,000 protesters. They were all Hefazat supporters and they were mostly madrasa students.... Click to continue