Violent protests in Bangladesh leave 28 dead, internet and mobile phones cut off

2024-07-19 08:28:02

NEW DELHI (AP) — Bangladesh lost internet and mobile phone service on Friday following days of violent protests over public job allocations, with local media reporting that at least 28 people have died this week.

The mobilizations, which began weeks ago and intensified on Monday, are the largest since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was elected to a fourth consecutive term in January elections that faced major opposition boycott.

A surge in violence led to an internet shutdown on Thursday as students attempted to impose a “total lockdown” on the country.

Reports of deaths increased and protesters stormed the state television headquarters, entering through the main entrance and setting fire to cars and reception areas, a producer and a reporter told The Associated Press by phone. They spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.

“I escaped by jumping over a wall, but some of my companions were trapped inside. The attackers entered the building and set fire to the furniture,” the producer said.

He added that the network was still broadcasting, although some residents in the capital Dhaka said they had not received a signal.

At least 22 people were killed on Thursday, a local TV station reported, following six deaths were recorded earlier in the week. Authorities might not immediately be contacted to confirm the death toll.

Internet and mobile phone services appeared to be down in the capital on Friday morning, with social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp unable to load their content.

Students said they would also extend the lockdown on Friday and urged mosques across the country to hold funeral prayers for the dead.

Protesters are calling for the abolition of a quota system that reserves up to 30% of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in the 1971 War of Independence. , and demanded that the independence movement be replaced by a merit-based admissions system.

The ruling party accuses the opposition of inciting violence. Authorities raided the offices of its main party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and arrested activists from its student wing. The BNP is expected to hold rallies across the country to support activists and protest once morest quotas.

After massive student protests in 2018, Hasina’s government temporarily suspended the system. mobilization.

The Supreme Court stayed the order pending an appeal hearing and said in a statement it would return to the issue on Sunday.

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Alam reported from Dhaka, Bangladesh.

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