Over 20 People Killed Amidst Violence in Bangladesh Protests
More than 20 individuals have been reported dead, and many others injured in a new wave of violence in Bangladesh. Police have responded to escalating protests by utilizing tear gas and stun grenades to disperse tens of thousands of demonstrators calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The fatalities were confirmed by police and medical professionals in the capital city of Dhaka and various northern districts, including Bogura, Pabna, and Rangpur, as well as in Magura in the west, Comilla in the east, and Barisal and Feni in the south.
The government has announced an upcoming curfew, with a communication blackout already in effect. Protesters are demanding Hasina’s resignation following previous protests in July that began with student demands to abolish a quota system for public jobs, which escalated into violence that claimed over 200 lives.
Al Jazeera reporter Tanvir Chowdhury from Dhaka describes the situation as “unstable and dangerous.” “The protesters say they will not move until their government steps down,” he noted. “People are extremely concerned about what will happen next,” he added, observing that the number of demonstrators is increasing. There are also reports of clashes between the protesters and supporters of the ruling Awami League party.
The protesters are calling for “non-cooperation,” which includes refusing to pay taxes and bills, as well as not attending work. While offices, banks, and factories remained open, commuters in Dhaka and other cities faced difficulties reaching their destinations. “We want the government to resign,” stated Jahirul Islam, a restaurant worker.
Prapti Taposhi, a student activist who witnessed clashes with police, mentioned that there was ongoing conflict between the police and protesters. “I am on the street right now, and I can see many people here. This is not just a student protest or a ‘quota protest’,” she said, adding that demonstrators would defy the curfew threat.
Meanwhile, protesters also attacked the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, a major public hospital in Dhaka’s Shahbagh area, setting several vehicles ablaze. In Dhaka’s Uttara district, police fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of people blocking a major road. Demonstrators also vandalized homes and a welfare office in the area where hundreds of supporters of the ruling party had gathered. Witnesses reported the use of primitive explosives and gunfire.
Abu Hena, a hospital official in Munshiganj district near Dhaka, reported that two individuals were declared dead after being brought to a hospital with injuries. Jamuna TV reported an additional 21 fatalities across 11 districts, including Bogura, Magura, Rangpur, and Sirajganj, where demonstrators, supported by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), clashed with police and supporters of the ruling Awami League party.
The protests began last month when students demanded an end to a quota system that reserved 30% of public jobs for the families of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s independence war against Pakistan in 1971. As violence intensified, the country’s Supreme Court reduced the quota to 5% of jobs, including 3% for relatives of veterans. However, protests continued, calling for accountability for the violence, which demonstrators allege the government has used excessive force to suppress.
The unrest has prompted the government to shut down internet services and poses its biggest challenge since January, when deadly protests erupted following Hasina’s Awami League winning a fourth consecutive term in elections boycotted by the largest opposition party, the BNP. The protests have since developed into a broader anti-government movement in the South Asian nation of approximately 170 million people. At least 11,000 individuals have been arrested in recent weeks. Critics of Hasina, along with human rights organizations, have accused her government of employing excessive force to crush the movement, an allegation the government denies.