Bangladesh government bans party
Following fatal clashes between protesters and police during demonstrations in Bangladesh, the government has banned a radical Islamic party and its student wing due to their alleged role in the riots. The government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina accused them in a statement of inciting violence and involvement in terrorist activities.
The protests in July were against the reintroduction of a controversial quota system in the public service. The violent street protests resulted in nearly 150 deaths, according to the government's announcement on Sunday.
The now-banned party, Jamaat-e-Islami, once ruled together with the former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. The party has not been allowed to participate in elections for years. However, it was previously allowed to engage in other political activities such as protests.
The statement from the government attributed the deaths during the protests to the alleged actions of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing. Due to the significant number of deaths, international human rights organizations have called for a thorough investigation into the incident.
