Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called for the freeing of political prisoners and protecting the right to peaceful assembly.
HRW, an international non-governmental organization based in New York, made the call in a report on its website on Wednesday.
The Bangladesh government is ignoring international calls for restraint and its promises to hold peaceful, free and fair elections, the organization said.
National elections are planned for January 2024.
“Many Bangladeshis say they fear an increase in violence due to the government’s crackdown on the political opposition in an effort to stifle participation and voting,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, Asia deputy director at Human Rights Watch.
“Bangladesh’s international partners should emphasize that elections cannot be considered fair when the opposition is targeted, harassed and kept behind bars,” Ganguly said.
Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday that witnesses have accused Bangladesh police of using unnecessary force during political protests on October 28, 2023.
Although violence was committed from all sides, these incidents were part of an ongoing police crackdown on political protests. At least 11 people, including two police officers, were killed and hundreds were injured during the events of October 28 and the violence that followed.