In Bangladesh, student protests have escalated into widespread violence, resulting in torched government buildings and a complete internet shutdown, marking the deadliest day of the ongoing unrest. The clashes this week between students, pro-government supporters, and armed police have ignited widespread anger over civil service job quotas that opponents argue are discriminatory.
Dozens of people have reportedly been killed, and hundreds injured in the violence. Riot police have used tear gas and rubber bullets against protesters, while crowds of demonstrators armed with sticks have filled the streets and university campuses in Dhaka, the capital, and other cities.
State broadcaster Bangladesh Television (BTV) was off the air on Friday after student demonstrators allegedly set fire to its headquarters, according to local media. Protesters have called for a nationwide shutdown, posing a significant challenge to the government of long-standing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
In response to the unrest, mobile and internet services have been cut, schools and universities ordered to close, and security forces deployed to quell the violence. Human rights groups have accused authorities of using unlawful force against protesters.
A police statement issued after a near-total shutdown of the nation’s internet reported that protesters had torched, vandalized, and carried out “destructive activities” on numerous police and government offices. Among the targeted buildings was the Dhaka headquarters of BTV, which remains offline after hundreds of enraged students stormed the premises and set fire to a building.
“About 100 policemen were injured in the clashes yesterday,” Faruk Hossain, a spokesman for the capital’s police force, told AFP. “Around 50 police booths were burnt.”
At least 26 districts across the country reported clashes on Thursday, according to broadcaster Independent Television. The network reported that more than 700 people had been wounded throughout the day, including 104 police officers and 30 journalists.
The near-daily marches this month have called for an end to a quota system that reserves more than half of civil service posts for specific groups, including children of veterans from the country’s 1971 liberation war against Pakistan.
