Dhaka: Bangladesh was crawling back to normalcy with limited internet and office hours after more than a week of chaos triggered by student protests over govt job quotas. Nearly 200 deaths were reported in the violent clashes.
Most of the country remained without internet access, but thousands of cars were on the streets of the capital Dhaka after authorities relaxed a curfew for 7 hours. Offices and banks opened for a few hours, while authorities restored broadband internet in some areas in Dhaka and the second largest city of Chattogram. Officials said the curfew would continue in Dhaka and elsewhere until the situation improves.
Since July 16, at least 197 people have been killed in violence, the leading Bengali-language Prothom Alo daily reported. Mohammad Ali Arafat, junior minister for I&B, said that official casualty figures would be announced after a judicial inquiry.
While the govt has pledged student protesters would not face legal action or harassment, media reports said that nearly 2,700 people had been arrested in recent days across the country. Many of the detainees, including opposition supporters, were sent to prison pending further legal procedures as PM Sheikh Hasina pledged that perpetrators would face justice.
Schools and other educational institutions have remained closed until further notice.
Clashes have taken place since July 15 between the police and mainly student protesters demanding an end to a quota that reserved 30% of govt jobs for kin of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s war of independence in 1971. The Supreme Court, meanwhile, ordered that the war veterans’ quota be cut to 5%. The govt issued a letter saying it was ready to implement the ruling. The protesters said the decision was in favour of the protesters, but the govt should answer for the bloodshed.
Students vow to resume protests unless leaders freed
A Bangladeshi student group has vowed to resume protests that sparked a nationwide unrest unless several of their leaders are released from custody. Last week’s violence killed at least 205 people according to an AFP count of police and hospital data.
Army patrols and a nationwide curfew remain in place more than a week after they were imposed. Members of Students Against Discrimination, whose campaign against job quotas precipitated the unrest, said they would end their weeklong protest moratorium.
