Dhaka, July 18: At least 18 more people were killed and over 2,500 injured in Bangladesh on Thursday, media reports said, as violence escalated in the capital Dhaka and elsewhere over student protests demanding quota system reform for government jobs, taking the toll to 25 since the protests erupted.
Witnesses said the protesters laid a siege on the state-run Bangladesh Television Bhaban in the Rampura area in Dhaka and damaged its front side, torched several parked vehicles while some staff including journalists were trapped inside.
University students in Dhaka and other cities have been holding rallies for more than a week protesting the system of reservation in public sector jobs, including that for the relatives of war heroes, who fought for the country’s independence from Pakistan in 1971.
“At least 18 people were killed and more than 2,500 were injured in today’s nationwide clashes between protesters and law enforcers and ruling party men,” newspaper The Daily Star said.
Earlier, the mass-circulation Prothom Alo newspaper had reported, “There are reports of 11 deaths. While nine of these deaths are reported from Dhaka, one is in Savar, on the outskirts of the capital, and one in south-western Madaripur district.” Private Somoy Television channel said police continued to use rubber bullets, tear gas and sound grenades to disperse the protesters.
The major clashes between protesters and police erupted in the Uttara area of the capital where several private universities are located.
Authorities could not immediately confirm the identity of all but reports suggest most of the dead are assumed to be students.
Earlier, six people, most of them students, were killed on Tuesday while another death was reported overnight, taking the total death toll to 18 since the protest started more than a week ago.
However, police have not yet issued a statement on the casualties.
The escalated violence prompted authorities to shut the metro rail inside the capital alongside the railway services to and from Dhaka since Thursday afternoon.
The government ordered the shutdown of mobile internet networks to quell the demonstrators. Bangladesh police website was inaccessible while that of the ruling Awami League’s student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League was hacked.
Authorities deployed Border Guard Bangladesh personnel across the country including the capital, to maintain law and order, the official BSS news agency reported.
Govt ready to hold talks with protesters
The Bangladesh government on Thursday expressed willingness to hold talks with the students protesting against the quota system in jobs after fresh violence erupted across the country as they attempted to enforce a nationwide shutdown over the issue.
Authorities deployed Border Guard Bangladesh personnel across the country including the capital, to maintain law and order, the official BSS news agency reported. Addressing a press conference, Law Minister Anisul Huq said the government decided to sit in for a dialogue with protesting students and entrusted him and Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury with the task of the discussion. “Whenever they agree, we will sit…it could be held this (Thursday) afternoon even,” he said. “Government has agreed to hold talks with the quota reformists,” he said at a press briefing.
India caution its citizens
India on Thursday advised its citizens residing in Bangladesh to avoid travel and minimise their movement after ongoing protests demanding reforms in the quota system in government jobs turned violent and left at least six people dead across the country. The violence prompted the government to close all public and private universities alongside schools and colleges across Bangladesh for an indefinite period on late Tuesday asking residential students to leave dormitories. There were approximately 7,000 Indians in Bangladesh, according to the high commission’s website. (PTI)
