Bangladesh Slams US-backed Opposition for Terror Attacks on Trains

Bangladesh's foreign ministry has accused the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of causing "physical harm" to citizens and causing extensive damage to government property to derail the upcoming federal election on 7 January.

In a statement on Thursday, Bangladesh's foreign ministry said that BNP supporters have engaged in "destructive acts to instill panic and exert undue pressure on the government to concede to their controversial demands".

"A glaring example of this violence occurred on December 13, 2023, when BNP-Jamaat activists deliberately removed a 20-foot section of railway track. This act of sabotage resulted in a tragic train derailment near Bankharia, involving the Dhaka-bound Mohanganj Express," the foreign ministry said, adding that the incident caused a fatality and injuries to 50 passengers.

The ministry claimed that the incident was a “direct consequence” of the 36-hour blockade called by the BNP, which it stated was an attempt to “disrupt national stability”. This incident, exemplifies the dangerous lengths to which these groups will go to disrupt national stability.

The statement noted with concern that another incident on 19 December witnessed four passengers being killed after “saboteurs” set fire to three train coaches of Mohanganj Express in Dhaka.

“The police and district administration officials have uncovered evidence linking these groups to the incident, including gas cylinders used to sever the rail track,” the statement underlined.

It said that investigators have uncovered that these attacks on railway infrastrure were “premeditated” and that meetings were held to plan these incidents.

The statement compared these incidents to "terrorism", adding that people of Bangladesh were firmly against such acts of political violence.

The BNP has urged the incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to step down ahead of the election and install a caretaker government to oversee the upcoming vote.

The demand has been dubbed as “unconstitutional” by the government, leading to opposition boycotting the vote altogether.

BNP Engaged in Similar Acts of Violence Between 2013 & 2015: FM

The foreign ministry recalled that the BNP and its pro-Islamist allies had engaged in similar acts of political violence between 2013 and 2015, a period which saw torching of nearly 4,000 vehicles and railway arson.

It noted that the “recent resurgence” of violence since 28 October by the BNP had led to the burning of nearly 400 vehicles.

“Their strategy of calling for blockades ahead of the election is a troubling repetition of past actions,” it stated.

It said that the BNP and its coalition partners have also attacked “essential services” during the ongoing political alliance, including targeting a police hospital and ambulances.

“Are the actions of the BNP-Jamaat coalition a legitimate form of political expression, or do they constitute a severe violation of human rights and public safety?” the foreign ministry questioned.

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