Bangladesh Violence Escalates: 39 Killed, Protesters Torch Government Buildings Amid Student-Led Uprising
New Delhi: At least 39 people have been killed in Bangladesh as student protests against civil service hiring rules intensified. The protests, which have been ongoing for several weeks, escalated when police clashed with hundreds of demonstrators in Dhaka, firing rubber bullets. In retaliation, protesters chased officers to the headquarters of Bangladesh Television (BTV) and set the building on fire.
Several government buildings have been torched, according to a police statement, which noted damage to the state broadcaster BTV, the national disaster management agency, and various other police and government structures. The statement described the protesters as “miscreants” engaged in destructive activities.
The unrest has caused widespread telecommunications disruptions, with many overseas calls failing to connect and local internet services severely impacted. The websites of several Bangladeshi newspapers have not been updated, and their social media accounts remain inactive.
Protesters are demanding the abolition of a quota system that reserves over half of civil service posts for specific groups, including children of veterans from the 1971 liberation war. Critics argue that the system unfairly benefits supporters of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ruling party. The protests are also fueled by rising unemployment rates, with nearly 32 million young people out of work or education in a country of 170 million.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has announced a judicial inquiry into the violence, promising to investigate the instigators of the conflict and condemning those exploiting the movement for “terrorist activities.” Protester Bidisha Rimjhim, 18, voiced the demonstrators’ demands: “Our first demand is that the prime minister must apologize to us. Secondly, justice must be ensured for our killed brothers.”
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