Bangladesh protests: 39 killed, protesters set state broadcaster's building ablaze
- In Reports
- 12:06 PM, Jul 19, 2024
- Myind Staff
The quota unrest in Bangladesh, which started on 1st July after the High Court reintroduced the freedom fighters' quota, allocating one-third of civil service positions to their descendants, has intensified into violent confrontations. The death toll has risen to at least 39, with over 2,500 reported injured.
Thousands of students, armed with sticks and rocks, have clashed with armed police in cities across Bangladesh, including Dhaka, Chattogram, Rangpur, and Cumilla.
Hundreds of protesters calling for reform of civil service hiring rules clashed with riot police on Thursday. The police fired rubber bullets at the demonstrators, who then followed the retreating officers to the BTV headquarters in the capital, Dhaka.
The incensed crowd then set ablaze the network’s reception building and dozens of vehicles parked outside, a BTV official told AFP.
The broadcaster said “many people” were trapped inside as the fire spread. Another official from the station later told AFP they had safely evacuated the building.
"The fire is still going on," the official said. "We have come out to the main gate. Our broadcast has been shut down for now."
Prime Minister Hasina, 76, has ordered the indefinite closure of schools and universities as police intensify efforts to control the worsening law and order situation.
PM Hasina appeared on the state broadcaster Wednesday night, condemning the "murder" of protesters and promising that those responsible, regardless of political affiliation, would be punished. However, violence escalated despite her appeal for calm, with police using rubber bullets and teargas to disperse demonstrations.
At least 39 people were killed on Thursday, in addition to seven earlier in the week, according to casualty figures from hospitals compiled by AFP. Hundreds more were wounded, with at least two-thirds of the deaths caused by police weaponry, based on descriptions given to AFP.
The student protests, along with subsequent arson and stone pelting, have caused significant disruptions in Dhaka and other major cities, creating hardships for the populace.
According to The Daily Star, students took to the streets in at least eight districts, blocking roads and train routes. Train services were heavily affected, with blockades in Dhaka, Mymensingh, Khulna, and Chattogram.
On Thursday, Dhaka Metro operations were suspended after 5.30 PM due to widespread quota protests, in the interest of public safety. Earlier, several metro stations—Mirpur-11, Mirpur-10, Kazipara, and Shewrapara—were closed after protesters set fire beneath the Mirpur-10 station, reported the Bangla daily Prothom Alo.
Near-daily marches this month have called for an end to the quota system that reserves more than half of civil service positions for specific groups, including the children of veterans from the country's 1971 liberation war against Pakistan.
A spokesman of the protesters earlier said they no longer seek dialogue with the government and Nazmul Hassan, one of the coordinators said, “Instead, we demand the immediate issuance of a gazette notification cancelling quotas in government jobs," according to a report by PTI.
Under the current quota system, 56 percent of government jobs are reserved. This includes a maximum of 30 percent for the descendants of the 1971 Liberation War freedom fighters, 10 percent for backward administrative districts, 10 percent for women, five percent for ethnic minority groups, and one percent for physically challenged people.
Each year, nearly 3,000 government jobs are available to around 400,000 graduates. The protesters are campaigning for reform of this system, arguing that it prevents the recruitment of meritorious students into first-class and second-class government positions.
Protestors also demanded an apology from the Prime Minister. "Our first demand is that the prime minister must apologise to us," protester Bidisha Rimjhim, 18, told AFP.
"Secondly, justice must be ensured for our killed brothers," she added.
Bangladesh's Law Minister Anisul Huq announced at a media briefing on Thursday that the government had decided to enter into dialogue with the protesting students. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has tasked him and Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury with leading these discussions.
The law minister also stated that, as promised by the prime minister on Wednesday, a judicial investigation committee had been formed on Thursday, headed by High Court judge Khondkar Diliruzzaman, to investigate the killings during the violence. He urged the students to call off their protests.
However, Students Against Discrimination, the main group behind this month's rallies, responded that the prime minister's words were insincere and “it did not reflect the murders and mayhem carried out by her party activists.”
Protesting students also staged blockades in the smaller cities of Rajshahi and Barishal for several hours.
On Friday, mobile users across Bangladesh reported being unable to use mobile internet and access social media amidst widespread violence related to the quota stir.
International telephone calls were mostly not connecting, and internet-based calls could not be completed. The websites of several Bangladesh-based newspapers were not updating on Friday morning, and their social media handles were also inactive, according to Reuters.
The 4G network at all universities has been down since 16 July. However, the 2G network remained available, allowing users to make regular voice calls through mobile networks.
Image source: Reuters
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