WION Web Team
DhakaEdited By: Harshit Sabarwal
Hundreds of people have been injured in the ongoing agitation in Bangladesh. Photograph:(Reuters)
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
There was fresh violence in some parts of Bangladesh and police were using tear gas to disperse protesters, Reuters reported.
The death toll due to the ongoing student protests against quotas for government jobs in Bangladesh has climbed to 50. The news agency Reuters reported on Friday (July 19) that TV news channels in the country were off-air and telecommunications were widely disrupted. There was fresh violence in some parts of Bangladesh and police were using tear gas to disperse protesters, Reuters reported
Hundreds of people have been injured in the protests. In the latest news, the police banned all public rallies in Dhaka and arrested Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Ahmed, a leader of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)
Although the agitation was sparked by students' discontentment against the controversial quota system. Some analysts have said that tough economic conditions, including high inflation and rising unemployment, were providing fuel to the fire.
The disruption in news, mobile services
On Thursday, authorities cut some mobile services to try to quell the unrest but the disruption spread across the country on Friday morning. Telephone calls from abroad were mostly not getting connected and calls through the internet could not be completed, Reuters reported.
Also read | India issues advisory amid Bangladesh unrest
Apart from TV news channels going off-air, the websites of several Bangladesh-based newspapers were not updated on Friday morning and their social media handles were also not active.
Only some voice calls were working in the country and there was no mobile data or broadband on Friday morning, the news agency reported and pointed out that SMSes were not going through.
Govt websites hacked
The websites of Bangladesh's central bank, the prime minister's office and police appeared to have been hacked by a group calling itself "THE R3SISTANC3". In a message, the group said, "Operation HuntDown, Stop Killing Students. It's not a protest anymore, it's a war now."
"The government has shut down the internet to silence us and hide their actions. We need to stay informed about what is happening on the ground. The spirit of our students remains unbroken," the group said in another message.
Govt willing to hold talks with protesters
The ongoing protests have been the biggest since Sheikh Hasina was re-elected as prime minister earlier this year. Nearly a fifth of the country's 170 million population is out of work or education.
Student protesters are demanding the state stop setting aside 30 per cent of government jobs for the families of people who fought in the 1971 war.
Also read | Bangladesh student protests: Dhaka slams US over unsubstantiated claims about stir
PM Hasina's government scrapped the quota system in 2018, but a high court reinstated it in June. The government appealed against the verdict and the Supreme Court suspended the high court order, pending a hearing of the government’s appeal on August 7.
On Thursday, the government said it was willing to hold talks with the protesters but the demonstrators refused, saying, "Discussions and opening fire do not go hand in hand".
(With inputs from agencies)
Internet and mobile services cut off in Bangladesh amid violent protests that have killed 28 people
By Associated Press
Internet and mobile services were cut off in Bangladesh on Friday, following days of violent protests over the allocation of government jobs, with local media reports saying at least 28 people had been killed this week.
The protests, which began weeks ago and escalated sharply on Monday, are the biggest since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was re-elected for a fourth consecutive term in a January election that was boycotted by the main opposition parties.
The internet clampdown came after violence escalated on Thursday, as students attempted to impose a "complete shutdown" on the country.
Reports of deaths rose, and protesters attacked the head office of state-run Bangladesh Television, breaking through a main gate and setting vehicles and the reception area on fire, a news producer and a reporter told The Associated Press by phone. They spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
He said the station continued broadcasting, though some Dhaka residents said they were receiving no signal from the broadcaster.
At least 22 people were killed on Thursday, a local TV station reported, following six deaths earlier this week. Authorities could not be reached to immediately confirm figures for the deaths.
On Friday morning, internet services and mobile data appeared to be down in the capital, Dhaka, and social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp were not loading.
Student protesters said they will extend their calls to impose a shutdown on Friday as well, and urged mosques across the country to hold funeral prayers for those who have been killed.
The protesters are demanding an end to a quota system that reserves up to 30% of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971.
They argue the system is discriminatory and benefits supporters of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, whose Awami League party led the independence movement, and they want it replaced with a merit-based system.
Hasina's party has accused opposition parties of stoking the violence, raiding the headquarters of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and arresting activists from the party's student wing. The BNP is expected to hold demonstrations across the country in support of the student activists protesting against the quota system.
Hasina's government had earlier halted the job quotas following mass student protests in 2018, but last month, Bangladesh's High Court nullified that decision and reinstated the quotas after relatives of the 1971 veterans filed petitions, triggering the latest demonstrations.
The Supreme Court has suspended that ruling pending an appeal hearing, and said in a statement it will take up the issue on Sunday.
Student protesters stormed a jail in the central Bangladeshi district of Narsingdi and freed the inmates before setting it on fire.
Security forces fire tear gas shells to disperse crowd of protesters during violence in Bangladesh. (File photo)
India Today News Desk
New Delhi,
Written By: Vivek Kumar
In Short
Protesters vow more protests, demand Sheikh Hasina step down
Over 60 people killed in week-long violence so far
Student protesters on Friday freed 'hundreds' of inmates from a jail in Narsingdi district in central Bangladesh before setting the prison building on fire, local police said.
"The inmates fled the jail and the protesters set the jail on fire", a police officer told news agency AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity. "I don't know the number of inmates, but it would be in the hundreds", he added.
A senior government official confirmed the news of the jailbreak but did not provide further details.
Dhaka's police force banned all public gatherings for the day in an effort to prevent another day of violence.
"We've banned all rallies, processions and public gatherings in Dhaka today," police chief Habibur Rahman said, adding the move was necessary to ensure "public safety".
However, that did not stop another round of confrontations between police and protesters, despite an internet shutdown aimed at frustrating the organisation of rallies.
"Our protest will continue," a protester said, adding that they want the 'immediate resignation of Sheikh Hasina'. "The government is responsible for the killings", he added.
Notably, at least 64 people have died so far in the unrest, according to certain reports quoting the count of victims reported by hospitals.
The quota stir in Bangladesh, which began on July 1 following the High Court's reinstatement of the freedom fighters' quota, reserving one-third of civil service posts for their descendants, has escalated into violent clashes.
Thousands of students, armed with sticks and rocks, have faced off against armed police in cities across Bangladesh, including Dhaka, Chattogram, Rangpur, and Cumilla.
The student protest and the subsequent arson and stone pelting has caused significant disruptions in Dhaka and other big cities of the country, leading to hardship for the people.
Students took to the streets in at least eight districts, blocking roads and train routes, according to The Daily Star.
Train services were heavily impacted, with blockades in Dhaka, Mymensingh, Khulna, and Chattogram.
Copyright Rajib Dhar/ AP
By Euronews
Published on 19/07/2024 -
Internet and mobile services were cut off after days of deadly clashes over the allocation of government jobs.
Police and security officials in Bangladesh fired bullets and tear gas at protesters and banned all gatherings in the capital on Friday, as internet and mobile services were cut off after days of deadly clashes over the allocation of government jobs.
The protests, which began weeks ago but escalated sharply on Monday, represent the biggest challenge to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina since she won a fourth consecutive term in office after elections in January. Main opposition groups boycotted those polls.
Somoy TR, a local television channel, reported that four more people died in the latest clashes.
This comes a day after the bloodiest day of demonstrations to date when 22 people were killed, according to local media, as protesting students attempted to impose a “complete shutdown” on the country.
Authorities could not be reached immediately to confirm figures for the deaths.
The chaos has highlighted cracks in Bangladesh’s governance and economy and the frustration of young graduates who face a lack of good jobs.
The government has deployed police and paramilitary forces across the capital to lock down campuses and break up protests. On Wednesday, universities including the country's largest suspended classes and closed dormitories, and on Friday Dhaka police said they were banning all gatherings and demonstrations in the capital.
An Associated Press reporter saw border guard officials fire at a crowd of more than 1,000 protesters who had gathered outside the head office of state-run Bangladesh Television, which was attacked and set on fire by protesters the previous day.
The border guards shot at the right crowd with rifles and sound grenades, while police officers fired tear gas and rubber bullets. Bullets littered the streets, which were also marked by smears of blood.
A news producer and reporter at Bangladesh Television on Thursday told the AP that protesters had broken through the main gate and set fire to vehicles and the reception area. They spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
“I escaped by leaping over the wall but some of my colleagues got stuck inside. The attackers entered the building and set furniture on fire,” the producer said by phone.
Students clash with riot police during a protest against a quota system for government jobs, in Dhaka, Bangladesh onThursdayRajib Dhar/The AP
Internet services and mobile data were widely disrupted on Thursday night and remained down on Friday in the capital, Dhaka. Social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp were also not loading. It coincided with a widespread internet outage on Friday that disrupted flights, banks, media outlets and companies around the world, but the disruptions in Bangladesh were substantially greater than seen elsewhere.
A statement from the country’s Telecommunication Regulatory Commission said they were unable to ensure service after their data centre was attacked on Thursday by demonstrators, who set fire to some equipment. The Associated Press has not been able to independently verify this.
Student protesters said they will extend their calls to impose a shutdown on Friday as well, and urged mosques across the country to hold funeral prayers for those who have been killed. Major universities have said they will close their doors until tensions ease.
The protesters are demanding an end to a quota system that reserves up to 30% of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s war of independence in 1971 against Pakistan.
They argue the system is discriminatory and benefits supporters of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, whose Awami League party led the independence movement, and they want it replaced with a merit-based system.
But Hasina has defended the quota system, saying that veterans deserve the highest respect for their contributions to the war regardless of their political affiliation.
The Bangladeshi leader is credited for bringing stable growth to Bangladesh, but rising inflation — thanks in part to the global upheaval sparked by the war in Ukraine — has triggered labor unrest and dissatisfaction with the government.
Even though job opportunities have grown in some parts of the private sector, many people prefer government jobs because they are seen as more stable and lucrative. But there aren’t enough to go around — each year, some 400,000 graduates compete for around 3,000 jobs in the civil service exam.
“What is unfolding in Bangladesh is deeply unsettling for a generation that only asked for a fair opportunity in public service recruitment. That a peaceful protest against a state policy would slip into the peak of lawlessness shows the government’s lack of farsightedness and inefficient policy governance,” said Saad Hammadi, policy and advocacy manager at the Canada-based Balsillie School of International Affairs who has advocated for freedom of speech in the country.
“The internet shutdown makes matters worse. Local news sites are inaccessible, and people in the country are left incommunicado with the rest of the world all in the pretext of conducting sweeping operations by the state that have often resulted in serious human rights violations,” he added in an email.
Bangladesh has previously shut down internet services in areas affected by protests, using it as a measure to suppress dissent by opposition parties. Internet watchdog Access Now said it recorded three shutdowns in the country in 2023 - all of which overlapped with opposition rallies and were limited in scope to one city or district. That came after six shutdowns in 2022.
CIVICUS, a non-profit that tracks civic freedoms around the world, last year downgraded Bangladesh to “closed,” the worst rating that it could assign, along with China and Venezuela, following a crackdown on the country’s opposition members and supporters ahead of its national election.
The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party has backed the protesting students and vowed to organise its own demonstrations, and many of their supporters have joined in the students' demonstrations. On Friday, police fired tear gas at a few hundred BNP supporters, and arrested senior BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
Hasina's government has accused the BNP of stoking the violence, with authorities raiding the opposition party's headquarters earlier this week and arresting activists from the party's student wing.
The Awami League and the BNP have often accused each other of fuelling political chaos and violence, most recently ahead of the country's national election, which was marred by a crackdown on several opposition figures while Hasina's government accused the party of attempting to disrupt the vote.
Hasina’s government had earlier halted the job quotas following mass student protests in 2018, but last month, Bangladesh’s High Court nullified that decision and reinstated the quotas after relatives of the 1971 veterans filed petitions, triggering the latest demonstrations.
The Supreme Court has suspended that ruling pending an appeal hearing, and said in a statement it will take up the issue on Sunday.
On Wednesday, Hasina urged protesters in a televised address to “wait with patience” for the court verdict. “I believe our students will get justice from the apex court. They will not be disappointed.”
Posted Thu 18 Jul 2024
In short:
At least 64 people have died amid student protests in Bangladesh over a quota system for allocating government jobs.
The quota system was halted after mass student protests in 2018, but reinstated last month following a ruling by Bangladesh's High Court.
What's next?
The Supreme Court has suspended the High Court's ruling and is expected to rule on August 7.
Police have clashed with student protesters in Bangladesh after students attempted a "complete shutdown" of capital city Dhaka.
At least 64 people have died since demonstrations began, according to an AFP count of victims reported by hospitals.
At least 19 were killed on Friday alone, when students stormed a prison and freed hundreds of inmates.
Six people killed in protests across Bangladesh
Paramilitary forces are working to keep order across Bangladesh as student and pro-government groups clash over the country's public service hiring policy.
A police officer told AFP the protesters stormed a prison in the central Bangladeshi district of Narsingdi and freed inmates before setting the facility on fire.
Rallies continued despite a ban on public gatherings and an internet shutdown aimed at frustrating organisers.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina insists there will be a judicial investigation into the deaths and vows those responsible will be brought to justice.
"Some precious lives have been lost unnecessarily," she said.
"I condemn every killing."
Ms Hasina's government has also accused the BNP and the right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami party of fuelling the chaos.
The clashes come months after Ms Hasina maintained power in an election that was boycotted by opposition parties and saw opposition members jailed ahead of the polls.
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk posted on X that all acts of violence and deadly use of force must be investigated and the perpetrators held accountable.
Mr Türk said freedom of expression and peaceful assembly were fundamental human rights.
What are students protesting?
At least 10 people died in Thursday's clashes, the highest toll in a single day so far.(AP: Rajib Dhar)
The confrontation follows days of violence over a quota system of allocating government jobs, which students say favours allies of the ruling party.
While job opportunities have expanded in Bangladesh's private sector, many people prefer government jobs because they are stable and well-paid.
"The reason behind such huge participation is that many students go through the bitter experience of not finding the jobs they deserve after completing their education," former economics professor and analyst Anu Muhammad explained in the Dhaka-based Daily Star newspaper.
"In addition, rampant corruption and irregularities in government job recruitment exams and selection processes have created immense frustration and anger."
"The country's economy shows growth, but jobs are not being created."
Each year, around 400,000 graduates compete for 3,000 jobs in the civil service exam.
The quota system reserves up to 30 per cent of government jobs for family members of veterans who fought in Bangladesh's war of independence from Pakistan in 1971.
Students argue this system is discriminatory and benefits supporters of Ms Hasina, whose Awami League party led the independence movement, and they want it replaced with a merit-based system.
Under the quota system, government jobs are also reserved for women, disabled people and members of ethnic minorities, but students have mainly protested against jobs reserved for veterans' families.
Ms Hasina has defended the quota system, saying veterans deserve the highest respect for their contributions in the war regardless of their political affiliation.
Ms Hasina's government halted the quotas after mass student protests in 2018.
But relatives of the 1971 veterans filed petitions to have it reinstated, prompting Bangladesh's High Court to nullify the prime minister's 2018 decision last month.
The Supreme Court has suspended the High Court's ruling and is expected to rule on August 7.
The government has also appealed the High Court's decision in the wake of the protests, according to the attorney-general's office.
Bangladesh's Law Minister Anisul Huq said the government was seeking an early hearing.
"I have already asked the attorney-general to appeal in the Supreme Court on Sunday seeking early hearing," he told reporters.
Friday and Saturday are parts of the weekend in Bangladesh. The court opens on Sunday.
"I am requesting all to wait with patience until the verdict is delivered," Ms Hasina said in a televised address Wednesday evening.
"I believe our students will get justice from the apex court. They will not be disappointed."
Demonstrations escalate to 'complete shutdown'
The protests first escalated on Monday, when violence broke out between protesters, police and pro-government student activists on the Dhaka University campus.
At least 100 people were injured in the aftermath, and paramilitary forces were deployed to patrol the streets of major cities.
At least six people were killed on Tuesday, leading the government to ask universities across the country to close and police to raid the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party's headquarters, as well as arrest several student activists.
On Wednesday night, the protesters responded to security officials' continued attacks on campus demonstrators by announcing their plans for a "complete shutdown" of the country beginning the next day, except for essential services.
The opposition BNP said it would do what it could to make the shutdown a success.
Detective Chief Harun-or-Rashid said police arrested seven members of the party's student wing and found 100 crude bombs, 500 wooden and bamboo sticks and five-to-six bottles of gasoline in the raid.
Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, a senior BNP leader, said the raid was a government attempt to divert attention from the protests.
The protesters announced their plans for a "complete shutdown" of the country on Wednesday night.(AP: Rajib Dhar)
Protesters attempted to enforce the violence on Thursday morning, blocking the road in Dhaka's Uttara neighbourhood until police gave chase.
At least ten people died in Thursday's clashes — the highest toll in a single day so far — including a bus driver whose body was brought to a hospital with a bullet wound to his chest, a rickshaw-puller and three students, officials told Reuters.
In other places, police fired tear gas and charged with batons to disperse the protesters — who threw stones in response.
Scores, including police, were injured in the violence, a spokesperson for the Dhaka Metropolitan Police said.
Police also said protesters attacked and set fire to a traffic police box and vandalised police vehicles amid clashes across the city.
Dhaka's usually clogged streets saw thin traffic on Thursday and many malls in the area closed.
Offices and banks opened, but commuters complained that transport was limited.
Police set up checkpoints at the entrances to Dhaka University.
Local television reported violence in other cities including Chattogram and Khulna, while protesters also blocked some major highways.
Salma Rahman, an official at a financial institution in Dhaka, said she left her car at home and caught a ride on a motorcycle.
"Our office has alerted us to stay safe on streets, as there is fear that violence could happen during the shutdown."
Mr Huq revealed on Thursday afternoon that the prime minister asked him to sit down with the protesters for a dialogue, and he was ready to speak with them if protesters were willing.
The protesters say they are willing to talk and want to return to class when their demands are met.
AP/ABC/AFP
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