Police deployed tear gas to disperse protesters in Bangladesh on Thursday and authorities partially suspended mobile internet services due to ongoing violent clashes, resulting in six deaths and hundreds injured.
Due to ongoing violent clashes in Bangladesh this week, police used tear gas to disperse protesters, and mobile internet services were partially suspended.
In Dhaka, shops and offices remained open, but public transportation was limited amid a call for a nationwide shutdown by students advocating for the abolition of a 30% quota system.
In the southern city of Chittagong, police fired tear gas at students who were throwing stones and blocking a major highway. Mobile internet services were disrupted across most of the country due to the spread of rumors and instability on social media.
Junior Information Technology Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak explained that the suspension of mobile internet was temporary and aimed at restoring stability.
These protests represent a significant challenge to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government since her re-election in January, which was boycotted by the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
The unrest stems from frustration over high youth unemployment, with millions out of work or not in education, prompting demands for the abolition of the 30% quota reserved for families of freedom fighters.
Clashes and protests occurred in various locations, including Dhaka, where riot police engaged with demonstrators. Public and private universities were closed indefinitely, and security forces were deployed to maintain order on campuses.
Prime Minister Hasina addressed the nation, promising an investigation into the deaths caused during the protests and asking for patience until a Supreme Court decision on the quota issue in August.
The violence erupted following clashes between protesters and members of the ruling Awami League’s student wing. Several students were among those killed in the clashes.
International rights organisations, including Amnesty International, and global bodies such as the United Nations and the United States, have called on Bangladesh to protect the rights of peaceful demonstrators amid the unrest.
NANCY MBAMALU
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