Bangladesh on boil, over 300 killed in violent anti-govt protests since last month

At least 98 people were killed on Aug 5 in the deadliest day in weeks of anti-government demonstrations and clashes in Bangladesh taking the overall death toll over 300 since the protests erupted last month, according to police and doctors.

Authorities have imposed indefinite curfew in Dhaka — the epicenter of protests — and also suspended mobile services in a bid to prevent protests and restore calm.

Hundreds of students were also injured in police action against tens of thousands of protestors who had gathered Sunday to renew calls for the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to quit.

The trouble erupted in the country last month when students took to streets in protest against quota reforms in the country after the Bangladesh high court ruled in favor of reinstating a 30% quota in government jobs for descendants of freedom fighters.

Meanwhile, the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement has rescheduled their "Long March to Dhaka" to Aug 5. The group spearheading the protests has appealed all students in the nation to come to Dhaka in a collective show of defiance.

Bangladesh Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has expressed disappointment over India’s remarks terming the violent clashes in Bangladesh an ‘internal matter’ of the country. Yunus said that the situation in Bangladesh would also affect neighboring countries.

Meanwhile Bangladesh railways have suspended all services in the violence-hit country, amid students’ intensified anti-government protests. Student leader Asif Mahmud on Aug 4 asked protestors to “prepare bamboo sticks and liberate Bangladesh.”

The protests intensified last month after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina refused to meet the students' demands to reverse the order, leading to clashes with police and government supporting groups.

The agitating students are demanding a public apology from Hasina for the deaths and the removal of several of her ministers. The protestors also want the government to reopen schools and universities, which have been closed since the protests intensified.

Meanwhile, India has advised its citizens not to travel to Bangladesh until further notice as the student protests continue demanding PM Sheikh Hasina's resignation.

Earlier, the government suspended connectivity through broadband or internet for around two weeks, which was slowly restored after a while.

There was a relative calm for a while in the country as talks began with the government a few weeks ago but protests re-started again as students called for a nationwide civil disobedience movement and asked PM Sheikh Hasina to step down from her position.

The University Teachers’ Network in the country has proposed to form an interim government immediately consisting of people from diverse backgrounds. Hasina will have to hand over power to the interim government, according to the proposal.

The teachers’ network on Aug 4 held a press conference titled ‘Proposal of an outline for transition to a democratic Bangladesh free of discrimination’ at the Sagar-Runi Auditorium of Dhaka Reporters’ Unity.