By Anbarasan Ethirajan, BBC News At least 90 people were killed in Bangladesh on Sunday amid worsening clashes between police and anti-gov...
By Anbarasan Ethirajan, BBC News
At least 90 people were killed in Bangladesh on Sunday amid worsening clashes between police and anti-government protesters. The unrest comes as student leaders have declared a campaign of civil disobedience demanding that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina step down.
Thirteen police officers were killed when thousands of people attacked a police station in the district of Sirajganj, police reported. The student protest, which began last month with a demand to abolish quotas in civil service jobs, has now escalated into a broader anti-government movement.
Protesters blocked a motorway in Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, and both police and some supporters of the governing party were seen using live ammunition against the anti-government protesters. Police also used tear gas and rubber bullets. Since the protest movement began in July, the total death toll has risen to over 280.
A nationwide overnight curfew has been in place since 18:00 (12:00 GMT). The UN's human rights chief, Volker Türk, has called for an end to the "shocking violence" and urged restraint from Bangladeshi politicians and security forces. He expressed particular concern over a mass march planned in Dhaka on Monday, warning of a risk of "further loss of life and wider destruction."
"The government must cease targeting those participating peacefully in the protest movement, immediately release those arbitrarily detained, restore full internet access, and create conditions for meaningful dialogue," Mr. Türk added. "The continuing effort to suppress popular discontent, including through the excessive use of force, and the deliberate spread of misinformation and incitement to violence, must immediately cease," he emphasized.
Amid calls for her resignation, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina remains defiant. Speaking after a meeting with security chiefs, she said the protesters were "not students but terrorists who are out to destabilize the nation." Law and Justice Minister Anisul Huq told the BBC’s Newshour program that authorities were showing “restraint.” "If we had not shown restraint, there would have been a bloodbath. I guess our patience has limits,” he added.
In Dhaka, access to the internet on mobile devices has been suspended. Deaths and injuries have been reported across the country, including in the northern districts of Bogra, Pabna, and Rangpur. Thousands of people gathered in a main square in Dhaka, and there have been violent incidents in other parts of the city. “The whole city has turned into a battleground,” a policeman, who asked not to be named, told the AFP news agency. He reported that a crowd of several thousand protesters had set fire to cars and motorcycles outside a hospital.
Asif Mahmud, a leading figure in the nationwide civil disobedience campaign, has called on protesters to march on Dhaka on Monday. "The time has come for the final protest," he said. Students Against Discrimination, a group behind the anti-government demonstrations, has urged people not to pay taxes or utility bills and called for a shutdown of all factories and public transport.
Around 10,000 people have been reportedly detained in a major crackdown by security forces in the past two weeks, including opposition supporters and students. Some ex-military personnel have expressed support for the student movement, including ex-army chief General Karim Bhuiyan, who called on the incumbent government to withdraw the armed forces from the street immediately. He and other ex-military personnel condemned "egregious killings, torture, disappearances, and mass arrests."
The next few days are seen as crucial for both camps. The protests pose a significant challenge to Ms. Hasina, who was elected for a fourth consecutive term in January elections, boycotted by the main opposition. Students initially took to the streets over a quota that reserved one-third of civil service jobs for relatives of veterans of Bangladesh’s independence war with Pakistan in 1971. While the government has scaled back most of the quota following a ruling, students have continued to protest, demanding justice for those killed and injured and calling for Ms. Hasina to step down.
Ms. Hasina's supporters have ruled out her resignation. Earlier, Ms. Hasina offered unconditional dialogue with the student leaders, saying she wanted the violence to end. “I want to sit with the agitating students of the movement and listen to them. I want no conflict," she said. However, the student protesters have rejected her offer.
The Bangladeshi army chief, Gen Waker-Uz-Zaman, held a meeting with junior officers in Dhaka to assess the security situation. “The Bangladesh army has always stood by the people and will continue to do so for the interest of people and in any need of the state," Gen Zaman said, according to a release by the Inter Services Public Relation Directorate.
Bangladeshi media reports indicate that most of those killed in last month’s protests were shot dead by police. Thousands were injured. The government argues that police opened fire only in self-defense and to protect state properties.
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