98 dead in Bangladesh clashes, India urges nationals to take ‘extreme caution’
A fresh wave of violence swept through many cities in Bangladesh, including the capital Dhaka, on Sunday, resulting in over 97 deaths and hundreds of injuries as student protesters clashed.
With police and ruling party activists. Police fired tear gas and used stun grenades to disperse tens of thousands of protesters calling for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign.
The government has declared an indefinite nationwide curfew starting at 6 pm on Sunday, the first time it has taken such a step during the current protests that began last month. It has also called for a three-day holiday.
The Central government has “strongly advised” Indian nationals against travelling to Bangladesh till further notice and Indian authorities in Bangladesh asked citizens to “remain alert” in view of the volatile situation.
The protests have become a major challenge for Hasina, who returned to power for a fourth consecutive term in January, ruling for over 15 years. Hasina’s government appears to be on the brink of collapse as protesters now push for one demand — her resignation.
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India released an advisory for its nationals in Bangladesh and told them to exercise “extreme caution” and restrict their movements. It also asked its citizens not to travel to Bangladesh till further notice.
“In view of ongoing developments, Indian nationals are strongly advised against travelling to Bangladesh till further notice,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in the advisory.
“All Indian nationals presently in Bangladesh are advised to exercise extreme caution, restrict their movements and remain in contact with the High Commission of India in Dhaka,” it said.
Crowds of protesters, many wielding sticks, packed into Dhaka’s central Shahbagh Square, with street battles occurring in multiple locations, including other key cities. While the previous round of clashes was primarily focused in Dhaka and its outskirts, Sunday’s violence spread across many cities. Protesters blocked major highways, clashed with police, and confronted groups supporting the ruling Awami League.
The protesters, which include students and some groups backed by main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, have called for ‘non-cooperation’, urging people not to pay taxes and utility bills and not to show up for work on Sunday, a working day in Bangladesh. The protest leaders had called upon the agitators to arm themselves with bamboo sticks, as the previous round of protests in July was largely crushed by the police.
The government has shut down high-speed internet services as a fresh protest erupted. The officials of mobile phone operators said they have received a directive to shut down 4G services, Bangladeshi newspaper The Daily Star reported. Social media platforms Facebook and WhatsApp were not available, even via broadband connections.
The protesters attacked offices and establishments that opened today, including the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, a major public hospital in Dhaka. In Dhaka’s Uttara area, some crude bombs were detonated and gunshots were heard, witnesses said. They also torched several vehicles.
“In view of ongoing developments, Indian nationals are strongly advised against travelling to Bangladesh till further notice,” the government said in a statement on Sunday.
It added, “All Indian nationals presently in Bangladesh are advised to exercise extreme caution, restrict their movements and remain in contact with the High Commission of India in Dhaka through their emergency phone numbers: +8801958383679, +8801958383680 and +8801937400591”.
PM Hasina and her party blamed opposition parties and the now-banned right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami party and their student wings for instigating violence. After a national security meeting, Hasina alleged, “Those who are protesting on the streets right now are not students, but terrorists who are out to destabilise the nation”. She appealed to the “countrymen to suppress these terrorists with a strong hand”.
The Awami League has announced that the Prime Minister has asked for all detained students to be released. She instructed top officials and the Home Minister that students who are innocent and against whom there are no allegations of serious crimes like murder and vandalism should also be released, the party said. The release of jailed protesters was one of the key demands of the agitators.
Bangladesh Army, in a statement that did not explicitly say whether they supported the protesters, stated that they stand by the people. Army Chief Waker-uz-Zaman told officers that “the Bangladesh Army is a symbol of the people’s trust” and “it has always stood by the people and will continue to do so for the sake of the people and the state”. At the same time, some former military officers have joined the student movement, and ex-Army Chief General Ikbal Karim Bhuiyan turned his Facebook profile picture red in a show of support.
The protests erupted last month over a quota system reserving 30 per cent of government jobs for families of Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence veterans. As demonstrations intensified, the Supreme Court reduced the quota to 5 per cent, with 3 per cent dedicated to veterans’ relatives. However, protests continued, with demonstrators demanding accountability for alleged excessive force used by the government to quell the unrest. The agitation, which has turned violent on multiple occasions, has so far killed at least 200 people across the country, with Dhaka being the epicentre.