The death toll, including at least 13 police officers, is the highest single-day death toll in any recent Bangladeshi protest, surpassing the 67 deaths reported on July 19 when students took to the streets demanding the abolition of state employment quotas.
Indefinite curfew
The Bangladeshi government has declared an indefinite nationwide curfew starting at 6 p.m. on Sunday. This is the biggest challenge to Hasina in her 20 years in power, especially after she won a fourth consecutive term in an election that was contested by the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
Protests turned into riots in Dhaka, Bangladesh on August 4, 2024. Photo: Reuters
Protesters blocked major highways on Sunday to pressure Hasina's government to resign, sparking riots nationwide.
"The perpetrators of violence are not students but terrorists seeking to destabilize the country," Hasina stated after a meeting of the national security council, attended by commanders of the army, navy, air force, police, and other agencies.
"I call on my fellow citizens to take strong action against these terrorists," she further declared.
Police stations and ruling party offices were targeted as violence erupted across the country of 170 million people. Police said 13 officers were beaten to death in Sirajganj district. Nine others were also killed in the district when the homes of two lawmakers were set ablaze.
The rioters set fire to the streets and attacked government buildings. Photo: Reuters
The internet and social media are disabled.
Police and witnesses said at least 11 people, including two students and a leader of the ruling party, were killed and dozens more injured in violent clashes in various parts of the capital Dhaka.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has urged its citizens not to travel to Bangladesh until further notice.
For the second time in recent protests, authorities have shut down high-speed internet services. Social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp are unusable, even through broadband connections.
"Units are required to shut down all 4G services until further notice, with only 2G services remaining in effect," according to a document issued by the Bangladesh National Telecommunications Monitoring Centre.
Last month, at least 150 people were killed and thousands injured in violence stemming from Bangladeshi student groups protesting state job quotas.
The protests subsided after the Bangladesh Supreme Court overturned most of the quotas, but students returned to the streets in sporadic demonstrations last week, demanding justice for the families of those killed.
Hoang Anh (according to Reuters, CNN)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/bao-loan-nghiem-trong-o-bangladesh-it-nhat-91-nguoi-thiet-mang-post306330.html
