The bodies of 20 prominent leaders of the “Awami League” party, led by outgoing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and nine of their relatives have been found in different cities in Bangladesh.
The incidents come amid escalating protests and riots that have swept the country.
Police reported that four of the leaders were beaten to death, while others were suffocated or burned alive after protesters set fire to their homes, in a serious escalation of political violence in Bangladesh.
The protests erupted after the student movement declared a “non-cooperation movement” against discrimination, and clashes between anti-government students, pro-government students, and police escalated.
Sheikh Hasina subsequently left the capital Dhaka for the Indian city of Agartala, where she reportedly submitted her resignation.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken over as interim prime minister in an attempt to calm the country’s tense situation, and the bloody escalation reflects the deep political tensions gripping Bangladesh.
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