Dhaka: Nearly 100 people have been killed and hundreds more injured as renewed anti-government protests erupted across Bangladesh on Sunday, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The prime minister has accused the protesters of “sabotage” and responded by cutting off mobile internet services to control the unrest.
According to Bangladeshi news channels, protests have spread across more than a dozen districts, including Chattogram, Bogura, Magura, Rangpur, and Kishoreganj, with opposition supporters clashing with police and ruling party activists.
At least 95 people died, including 14 police officers of which 13 were from the Enayetpur police station, Sirajganj district, which was set ablaze by the protestors. In the Sirajganj district, deadly clashes left at least 18 people dead following renewed protests against Sheikh Hasina on Sunday.
In response to the protests, the military announced a new curfew effective Sunday evening, extending indefinitely to the capital Dhaka and other major regions. The government had previously imposed a curfew with certain exceptions.
Police attacked the protestors with bullets, rubber bullets, and tear gas. In Dhaka’s Uttara neighborhood, police used tear gas to disperse hundreds blocking a major highway.
The demonstrations, initially sparked last month by students protesting against a quota system for government jobs, have escalated into widespread violence, leaving more than 200 dead previously. Protesters are now calling for Prime Minister Hasina’s resignation.
The unrest has led to the arrest of at least 11,000 people and caused the closure of schools and universities nationwide. Authorities have also imposed a shoot-on-sight curfew at times to manage the situation.
Prime Minister Hasina accused the protesters of turning into criminals and called for strong measures against them. The ruling Awami League party claimed that the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the banned Jamaat-e-Islami party are behind the demand for Hasina’s resignation.
In addition to the curfew, the government declared a holiday from Monday to Wednesday, closed courts indefinitely, and shut down mobile internet services and social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp to prevent further violence.
Protesters urged a “non-cooperation” movement, asking citizens not to pay taxes or utility bills and to avoid work on Sunday. Despite this, offices, banks, and factories opened, though commuters faced difficulties reaching their destinations.
The protests originally started as a movement against a quota system that reserved 30% of government jobs for veterans’ families. Despite a Supreme Court ruling reducing this quota to 5%, protests have continued, demanding accountability for the government’s use of force.
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