DHAKA: Bangladesh has imposed a nationwide curfew after violent clashes during student-led protests against government job quotas left at least 105 people dead, according to hospitals cited by AFP on Friday.
Defying a ban on public gatherings, the protests led to a harsh police crackdown, prompting the government to deploy the army, reported BBC Bangla, quoting the PM’s press secretary.
Telecommunications were disrupted, and television news channels went off the air earlier. Mobile services were partially cut the previous day to quell the unrest.
Police and security officials used bullets and tear gas against protesters in Dhaka, enforcing the ban on gatherings. The demonstrations, which began weeks ago and intensified this week, pose a significant challenge to PM Sheikh Hasina’s government, marking the largest protest since her re-election for a fourth term after January polls.
There were conflicting reports on casualties Friday, with Independent Television reporting 17 deaths and Somoy TV reporting 30. An AP reporter saw 23 bodies at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, though it wasn’t clear if all had died on Friday. Authorities could not confirm the death toll.
The government deployed army and paramilitary forces across the capital to secure campuses and disperse protests. On Friday, police in Dhaka banned all gatherings and demonstrations in the city after universities, including the largest in the country, suspended classes and closed dormitories earlier in the week.
Border guard officials fired rifles and sound grenades at over 1,000 protesters outside the head office of state-run Bangladesh Television, which was attacked on Thursday. Police also fired tear gas and rubber bullets, leaving streets sprayed with bullets and bloodstains.
Internet and mobile data services were widely disrupted Thursday night and remained disrupted in Dhaka on Friday. Social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp were also inaccessible. The Telecommunication Regulatory Commission cited an attack on their data center by demonstrators who set fire to equipment, making service restoration challenging.
Student protesters have vowed to extend their shutdown calls on Friday and urged mosques to hold funeral prayers for those killed in the clashes.
