DHAKA, July 20 – The government of Bangladesh has imposed a nationwide curfew and deployed the military following clashes between demonstrators and police during student protests, the military announced on Saturday, reported German news agency (dpa).
The army will be deployed in the capital Dhaka and other districts, announced Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan.
More than 100 people have died in the protests since violence broke out on Tuesday. At least 56 deaths were reported on Friday, according to BBC Bangla, citing the newspapers Prothom Alo and The Daily Star.
News from these outlets and other local media were not accessible online on Saturday, after the government largely cut off internet, telephone and SMS connections. The casualty figures have not been officially confirmed.
The US embassy in Bangladesh spoke on Friday of “hundreds to possibly thousands injured”.
In the capital Dhaka, all gatherings were banned on Friday until further notice, Prothom Alo reported, citing the police.
Nevertheless, some protests took place. The police used stun grenades, tear gas and rubber bullets. Protesters set vehicles, shops and offices on fire, according to a dpa reporter on-site.
At midnight on Friday, student representatives had reportedly met with government representatives. No information on the outcome was known, BBC Bangla reported.
Protesters 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.
Critics say the scheme benefits children of pro-government groups that back Hasina, 76, who has ruled the country since 2009.
