Bangladesh has launched a sweeping and violent crackdown on opposition parties to "eliminate competition" ahead of general elections, including arresting almost 10,000 activists, Human Rights Watch said Monday.
As well as the thousands arrested—many from the key Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)—a staggering number also face charges.
According to the BNP, about half of its five million members "face politically motivated prosecution," HRW said. Prisons are now at more than double their capacity, the rights group said.
The South Asian nation of around 170 million people holds a general election on January 7, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina eyeing her fourth consecutive term in power.
New York-based HRW, who called it a "violent autocratic crackdown," said at least 16 people have been killed since protests escalated in October, including two police officers. More than 5,500 people have been injured.
HRW based its report on multiple witness interviews, as well as analysis of videos and police reports.
It said it had found "evidence that security forces are responsible for using excessive force, mass arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, torture, and extrajudicial killings."
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