At least 91 people lost their lives and hundreds were injured in Bangladesh on Sunday as police deployed tear gas and rubber bullets to break up tens of thousands of protesters demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
According to Reuters, this death toll, which includes at least 13 police officers, marks the deadliest single day of protests in Bangladesh’s recent history, exceeding the 67 fatalities from the July 19 demonstrations by students seeking the elimination of government job quotas.
In response, the government imposed an indefinite nationwide curfew starting at 6 p.m. local time on Sunday, a first during these ongoing protests that began last month.
Additionally, a three-day general holiday was declared beginning Monday.
Near the Disaster Management Directorate office in Dhaka, vehicles were set ablaze by protesters amid the anti-quota demonstration on July 18, 2024.
The current unrest presents the greatest challenge to Hasina’s 20-year leadership following her fourth consecutive electoral victory, which was boycotted by the main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
Critics and human rights organizations have accused Hasina’s administration of using excessive force against protesters, allegations that both she and her ministers refute.
On Sunday, demonstrators blocked major highways as student protesters initiated a non-cooperation movement demanding the government’s resignation, with violence erupting nationwide.
“Those who are carrying out violence are not students but terrorists who are out to destabilize the nation,” Hasina stated after a national security panel meeting attended by military and police chiefs, as well as other agency leaders. “I appeal to our countrymen to suppress these terrorists with a strong hand.”
Violence spread across the country, targeting police stations and ruling party offices in the nation of 170 million people.
In the north-western district of Sirajganj, 13 policemen were beaten to death, with nine other fatalities reported, including the homes of two lawmakers being set on fire.
Fierce clashes in Dhaka resulted in at least 11 deaths, including two students and a ruling party leader, with dozens more injured, according to police and eyewitness accounts.
The Indian foreign ministry has advised its citizens to avoid traveling to Bangladesh until further notice.
Two construction workers were killed, and 30 injured in Munsiganj during a three-way clash involving protesters, police, and ruling party activists.
“They were brought dead to the hospital with bullet wounds,” stated Abu Hena Mohammad Jamal, the district hospital superintendent. Police claim they did not use live ammunition.
In Pabna, three people were killed and 50 injured in clashes between protesters and Awami League activists, as reported by witnesses.
Other fatalities included eight each in Feni and Lakshmipur, six in Narsingdi, five in Rangpur, and four in Magura, with additional deaths reported in several other districts, according to hospital officials.
“An attack on a hospital is unacceptable,” commented Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen after a medical college hospital in Dhaka was vandalized, and vehicles, including an ambulance, were set on fire.
Four garment factories were torched in Ashulia, near Dhaka, as confirmed by police.
For the second time during these protests, the government shut down high-speed internet services, affecting social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp, even on broadband connections.
A confidential government memo seen by Reuters revealed that Bangladesh authorities ordered telecom providers to disable 4G services.
“You are requested to shut down all your 4G services until further notice, only 2G will be effective,” stated the document from the National Telecommunication Monitoring Center, an intelligence agency.
Telecom companies were warned their licenses would be revoked if they failed to comply, according to a source with direct knowledge.
In July, 150 people were killed and thousands injured in violence sparked by student protests against job quotas.
The protests paused after the Supreme Court abolished most quotas, but sporadic demonstrations resumed last week, demanding justice for the families of those killed.
“I think the genie is out of the bottle and Hasina may not put it back in the bottle again,” said Shakil Ahmed, associate professor of government and politics at Jahangirnagar University.
On Saturday, Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman directed his officers to secure lives, properties, and important state installations, stating, “The Bangladesh Army is a symbol of the people’s trust. The army is always there and will always be there for the people’s interests and for any needs of the state,” according to an official statement. Zaman is scheduled to brief the media on Monday, as announced by an army spokesman.
