Bangladesh protesters call for march to Dhaka to protest curfew

Dhaka: Bangladeshi protesting students called for a march to the capital Dhaka on Monday (August 5) in defiance of a nationwide curfew to force Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign, a day after deadly clashes in the South Asian country Nearly 100 people died.

Bangladesh was engulfed in protests and violence last month after student groups demanded the abolition of a controversial quota system for government jobs. The protests escalated into a campaign for Hasina to step down after she won a fourth consecutive term in January in an election boycotted by the opposition.

Violence engulfed the country of 170 million people on Sunday, leaving at least 91 people dead and hundreds injured as police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse tens of thousands of protesters. A nationwide curfew was imposed from Sunday evening, rail services were suspended and the country’s vast garment industry was shut down.

Sunday’s death toll, which included at least 13 police officers, is the highest single-day death toll in protests in Bangladesh’s recent history, surpassing the 67 deaths reported on July 19 when students took to the streets to protest a quota.

The government announced an indefinite nationwide curfew from 6 p.m. local time on Sunday and declared a three-day holiday starting on Monday.

“The government has killed many students. It is time for a final answer,” protest coordinator Asif Mahmood said in a statement on Facebook late Sunday. “Everyone will come to Dhaka, especially people from the surrounding areas. Come to Dhaka and take a stand on the streets.”

The Bangladesh Army called on everyone to abide by the curfew.

“The Bangladesh Army will perform its promised duties in accordance with the Constitution of Bangladesh and existing laws,” the Bangladesh Army said in a statement late on Sunday.

“To this end, the people are requested to observe the curfew and extend full cooperation,” the statement said, adding that the curfew was imposed to ensure the safety of people’s lives, properties and important state institutions.

Attacks, vandalism and arson targeted government buildings, offices of the ruling Awami League party, police stations and residences of public representatives over the weekend, local media reported. Violence was reported in 39 of the country’s 64 regions.