Dhaka’s streets were deserted on Saturday as soldiers patrolled under a curfew aimed at quelling deadly student-led protests against government job quotas. The protests have claimed more than 100 lives this week.
The internet and text messaging services have been suspended since Thursday, effectively cutting off Bangladesh from the rest of the world. This comes as police continue to crack down on the protests despite a ban on public gatherings.
Hospital data reveals at least 105 fatalities and thousands of injuries this week. The Dhaka Medical College Hospital alone received 27 bodies on Friday evening.
The unrest began over student anger towards new government job quotas, including 30% reserved for families of those who fought for Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan in 1971. This measure has reignited old political tensions between independence fighters and those accused of collaborating with Pakistan.
For the past five days, police have used tear gas and sound grenades to disperse protesters, who have retaliated by throwing bricks and setting vehicles on fire. With the escalating violence and rising death toll, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government imposed a national curfew and deployed the military on Friday.
The curfew will ease for two hours from 12 p.m. on Saturday to allow people to buy supplies and complete other chores. It will remain in place until 10 a.m. on Sunday, when the government will reassess the situation.
The demonstrations, the largest since Hasina was re-elected for a fourth term this year, are also driven by high youth unemployment, affecting nearly a fifth of the country’s 170 million population.
International rights groups have condemned the internet suspension and the actions of security forces. The European Union expressed deep concern over the violence and loss of life.
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