At least 26 people have been killed and dozens injured in fierce clashes between protesters and supporters of the ruling Awami League in Bangladesh on Sunday. The violence comes amid ongoing protests over government job quotas and demands for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation.
The latest round of clashes erupted during a non-cooperation program organized by the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. This follows earlier protests that resulted in over 200 deaths, as students demanded an end to a quota system reserving 30% of government jobs for relatives of independence war veterans.
In response to the escalating situation, the Home Ministry has imposed an indefinite countrywide curfew starting from 6 pm Sunday.
Prime Minister Hasina has labelled the protesters as “terrorists” and called on citizens to suppress them. She also convened a meeting of the National Committee on Security Affairs, attended by top military and security officials.
The protests subsided when the Supreme Court eliminated most quotas, but students resumed their demonstrations last week in scattered protests, calling for justice for the families of the deceased. Protesters have rejected Hasina’s offer for dialogue intended to calm the rising violence and have unified their demands into a single call for the government to resign.
Reports of vandalism and arson attacks on police vehicles and government buildings have emerged from multiple locations.
The government has taken measures to control the spread of information, shutting down high-speed internet services and blocking access to social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp.
