The United States has issued a travel alert to its citizens travelling to or living in Bangladesh in view of protests in the country ahead of the January 5 general elections there.
“The US Department of State alerts US citizens travelling to or living in Bangladesh to the upcoming national elections that are scheduled for January 5, 2014,” the State Department said, adding that the alert expires on January 7, 2014.
Justifying the travel alert, the State Department said historically, pre-election periods in Bangladesh have seen unrest involving supporters of the two major political parties. In 2013, the political dispute centers on disagreements regarding the structure for holding national elections scheduled for January 5, 2014.
“US citizens are urged to remain alert to local security developments and to be vigilant regarding their personal security by knowing the locations of police and fire stations, hospitals, and other places to relocate to feel secure,” the advisory said.
“There have been no direct, targeted attacks on US citizens, however, in isolated instances, westerners and US citizens have been caught in the middle of clashes and demonstrations or stranded when highways have been blocked. US citizens are urged to remain alert to local security developments, carry identification, and to be vigilant regarding their personal security,” the travel alert said.
In Bangladesh, a common method for political parties and other organisations to articulate their political demands is by calling for a hartal (general strike), it said adding that the purpose of hartal is to disrupt or shut down services either locally or throughout the country and can turn violent if the population or political groups enforce the shutdown.
In November, for example, there were hartals or blockades covering a total of ten days. Even demonstrations that are meant to be peaceful can become violent and unpredictable. These demonstrations often result in clashes between police and protesters, resulting in deaths and injuries to both protesters and police, and extensive property damage, it said.
The advisory said that in various areas of Bangladesh, demonstrators have blocked highways and roads to all traffic and have damaged rail tracks and trains.
Demonstrators have thrown rocks, debris, and petrol bombs, and there are reports of the use of firearms and homemade, low-yield explosives. Security forces have used tear gas, non-lethal crowd control measures, and lethal force against demonstrators, its said.
Political protests in Bangladesh turned violent last month after its Election Commission announced elections for a new government will be held January 5.
The principal Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its allies wanted Sheikh Hasina to resign as prime minister to make way for a neutral caretaker government ahead of the elections.
Hasina has rejected calls for a caretaker administration and instead formed a multi-party interim cabinet which is composed of her allies.