Bangladesh Police Declare Strike, Beg For Forgiveness Over Protests’ Handling

Bangladesh’s key police association on Tuesday announced that its members were going on strike following the protests they had tried to suppress with lethal force, leading to the ousting of the Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina who resigned on Monday.

“Until the security of every member of the police is secured, we are declaring a strike,” the Bangladesh Police Association, which represents thousands of police officers, said in a statement, which also offered an apology for police actions against the protesters.

LEADERSHIP recalls that Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman announced on Monday on state television that Prime Minister Hasina had resigned and fled the country, saying the military would form an interim government.

The 76 years old Hasina had been in power since 2009 but was accused of rigging elections in January.

Millions of people had taken to the streets over a month demanding for the resignation of the Prime Minister.

Hundreds of people died as security forces sought to quell the unrest which grew bigger and Hasina finally fled Bangladesh aboard a helicopter on Monday as the military turned against her.

The police had largely remained loyal to the former PM but said they had faced revenge attacks by protesters after more than a month of violence in which at least 413 people were killed, including several policemen.

“We beg for an apology for what the police force has done to the innocent students,” the Bangladesh Police Association statement said.

It argued that its officers had been “forced to open fire”, and that they had been cast as the “villain”.