Clashes break out in Bangladesh, at least 73 killed, curfew imposed

By Ruma Paul Reuters

Clashes broke out in Bangladesh on Sunday, killing at least 73 people and injuring hundreds more as police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse tens of thousands of protesters demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The government announced an indefinite nationwide curfew from 6 p.m. local time on Sunday, the first such measure since protests began last month, and announced a three-day holiday starting on Monday.

The unrest, which forced the government to shut down internet services, is the biggest test of Hasina’s two-decade rule after she won a fourth straight election in an election boycotted by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

Hasina’s critics and human rights groups have accused her government of using excessive force against protesters, but Hasina and her ministers have denied the accusation.

Violence spread across the country on Sunday as student protesters launched a non-cooperation plan demanding the government’s resignation, with demonstrators blocking major highways.

“Those protesting on the streets now are not students but terrorists who want to destabilize the country,” Hasina said after a meeting of the National Security Panel attended by the heads of the army, navy, air force, police and other agencies.

“I call on our compatriots to suppress these terrorists with strong measures.”

The violence has shocked the country of 170 million people, with police stations and ruling party offices targeted.

Police officer Bijoy Bosak said 12 policemen were beaten to death in the northwest’s Sirajganj district.

Police and witnesses said violent clashes broke out in several places in the capital Dhaka, leaving at least eight people dead, including two students and a ruling party leader, and dozens injured.

Gunshot wounds

Two construction workers were killed and 30 others were injured on their way to work in the central district of Munshiganj in a three-way clash between protesters, police and ruling party activists, witnesses said.

“They were already dead when they were brought to the hospital with gunshot wounds,” said Abu Hena Mohammad Jamal, director of the regional hospital.

Police said they did not fire any live rounds.

Witnesses said at least three people were killed and 50 injured in clashes between protesters and activists from Hasina’s ruling Awami League in the northeastern district of Pabna.

Hospital officials said three people were killed in violence in the northern Bogura district, while 53 people died in 12 other districts.

“Attacks on hospitals are unacceptable,” Health Minister Samantha Lal Sen said after a group vandalized a medical college hospital in Dhaka and set fire to vehicles, including an ambulance.

Mobile operators said the government had shut down high-speed internet services for a second time during recent protests. Social media platforms Facebook and WhatsApp were unusable, even over broadband connections.

Bangladeshi authorities on Sunday instructed the country’s telecom providers to shut down 4G networks, effectively disabling internet services, according to a confidential government memo seen by Reuters.

Government Orders

“You are requested to shut down all 4G services until further notice. Only 2G services will be available,” said the document released by the National Telecommunications Monitoring Center, a government intelligence agency.

Telecom companies had previously been told their licenses would be revoked if they did not comply with the government order, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The telecom regulator has not yet responded to Reuters’ requests for comment.

Last month, violence sparked by student groups protesting government job quotas left at least 150 people dead and thousands injured.

The protests were suspended after the Supreme Court scrapped most of the quotas, but students returned to the streets last week for sporadic protests demanding justice for the victims’ families.

“I think the genie is out of the bottle and Hasina may not put it back in,” said Shakir Ahmed, associate professor of government and political science at Jahangirnagar University.

“The prime minister should immediately form a national government to foster greater unity.”

Army Chief General Wakr Uzi Zaman on Saturday directed his officers to ensure safety of lives, properties and vital national installations under all circumstances, a statement said.

“The Bangladesh Army is a symbol of trust of the people. The Army is always there and will always be there for the benefit of the people and any need of the country,” the statement quoted him as saying.

He also urged police officers to be vigilant against “various rumours” circulating on social media and to perform their duties with honesty, integrity and impartiality. Zaman will brief the media on Monday.

– Reuters