Over 100 killed in anti-govt protests in Bangladesh
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Over 100 people have been reportedly killed and hundreds injured on Sunday as renewed protests swept across Bangladesh, with demonstrators calling for the government to resign and the prime minister accusing them of “sabotage”.
The deaths were reported in multiple regions, including the capital Dhaka, and the northern districts of Bogura, Pabna, and Rangpur, as well as in Magura in the west, Comilla in the east, and Barisal and Feni in the south.
In Sirajganj, an attack on the Enayetpur police station resulted in several police casualties, although the attackers remain unidentified.
Demonstrators are demanding Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation following protests last month that started with students calling for an end to a quota system for government jobs.
Those demonstrations escalated into violence that left more than 200 dead.
Meanwhile, as the violence raged, the prime minister said those who were engaging in destruction in the name of protests were no longer students, but criminals, and urged the people to deal with them with iron hands.
The opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has supported the protesters, who have clashed with police and ruling Awami League party activists.
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Al Jazeera’s Tanvir Chowdhury reported from Dhaka, describing the situation as “volatile and dangerous,” with growing numbers of protesters adamant that they will not move until the government steps down.
The government announced a holiday from Monday to Wednesday. Courts will remain closed for an indefinite period. Mobile internet service was off Sunday, and Facebook and messaging apps including WhatsApp were inaccessible even on broadband internet.
Junior Minister for Information and Broadcasting Mohammad Ali Arafat said Sunday that mobile internet and messaging services were off to help prevent violence.
