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| Students clash with riot police during a protest against a quotas in government jobs |
In the wake of national battles with security officers, at least 19 people are believed to have died in Bangladesh as the quota protests and unrest continue. In various Bangladeshi cities, the agitation that has left thousands injured has severely disrupted daily life. The internet, metro, and trains were all affected. Another TV station was set on fire.
Following the High Court's reinstatement of the independence fighters' quota, which reserves one-third of civil service postings for their descendants, the quota stir in Bangladesh started on July 1 and has since grown into violent conflicts. The number of fatalities escalated to 19, with thousands more injuries recorded.
In Bangladesh, armed police have clashed with thousands of students brandishing sticks and rocks in places like Cumilla, Chattogram, Rangpur, and Dhaka.
These five reasons illustrate how the unrest among the students has escalated into a violent crisis in the nearby Indian community. With the increase in violence, several nations, including India, have issued travel advisories for its residents.
At least six individuals lost their lives in skirmishes with police in the capital city of Dhaka on Thursday, bringing the total number of casualties to 19, as the situation quickly worsened, according to a Daily Star report.
Clashes in Chattogram's Bahaddarhat neighbourhood on Thursday night resulted in two fatalities and fifty injuries, according to a Daily Star article.
The protesting students, who on Wednesday, called for a "complete shutdown" of Dhaka, and rejected the government's talks offer, amid the raging protests.
A 35-year-old journalist, Hasan Mehedi, was killed amid the quota protest at Jatrabari in Dhaka on Thursday. Hasan was a staff reporter of Dhaka Times, said Inspector Md Bacchu Mia, in charge of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital police outpost.
In the capital's Dhanmondi neighbourhood on Thursday afternoon, a 17-year-old student at the Dhaka Residential Model College was slain in a fight between the police and supporters of the Awami League. Prothom Alo said that he had wounds from pellets all over his body.
The altercations resulted in at least ten student injuries, and a police box was set on fire.
During a fight with the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on Thursday in Dhaka's Uttara locality, over 1,000 people were hurt, with at least four fatalities, according to The Dkaha Tribune. Four of the injured were pronounced dead when they arrived, according to the hospital.
The hospital confirmed that four of the injured were pronounced dead on arrival, with Uttara Adhunik Medical College Hospital reporting around 500 people seeking treatment following the violence.
SCHOOLS COLLEGES UNIVERSITIES SHUT
The country's secondary and higher secondary schools will be closed until further notice due to violent protests that have escalated, the ministry of education declared on Tuesday.
The Daily Star in Dhaka stated that the University Grants Commission of Bangladesh has also mandated the closure of all universities, both private and public, as well as any associated medical colleges and other establishments, indefinitely.
In a press statement, the ministry stated that the action was made to ensure the safety of college and school students. Students from private universities joined in on Thursday, adding to the predominantly public university student-led protests, as reported by The Daily Star.
The protesters also torched the residence of the Vice-Chancellor of Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur (BRUR), after a student's death.
They took over hostels and drove out members of the ruling party's students' wing -- Bangladesh Chattra League.
TRAIN, METRO SERVICES HIT BY QUOTA STIR
People are suffering as a result of the student protest, which was followed by stone-throwing and arson in Dhaka and other major cities in the nation.
According to The Daily Star, students blocked trains and roadways in at least eight districts by taking to the streets.
There were major disruptions to train services in Dhaka, Mymensingh, Khulna, and Chattogram.
Due to extensive quota demonstrations on Thursday after 5:30 PM, Dhaka Metro's operations were paused in the interest of the general people.
Earlier, demonstrators ignited fire beneath the Mirpur-10 station, forcing the closure of numerous metro stations, including Mirpur-11, Mirpur-10, Kazipara, and Shewrapara, according to the Bangla daily Prothom Alo.
The protesting students also staged blockades in the smaller cities of Rajshahi and Barishal for several hours.
MOBILE INTERNET, INACCESSIBLE ACROSS BANGLADESH
Mobile users across Bangladesh on Thursday reported being unable to use the mobile internet and access social media amid widespread violence related to the quota stir.
"Several mobile phone users complained about their inability to use Facebook and YouTube despite having data packs," Md Alam, a flexiload seller in the eastern town of Habiganj told The Daily Star.
The 4G network at all universities has been down since July 16.
However, the 2G network was available, allowing users to make regular voice calls through mobile networks.
TV STATION SET ABLAZE, WITH MANY TRAPPED
Students during a demonstration on Thursday afternoon set fire to the Bangladesh Television Centre located in Rampura, South Dhaka. Numerous students reportedly broke through the TV station's main gate, entered the building and set it on fire.
According to the Dhaka Tribune, the TV station was still engulfed in flames as of 4:20 PM.
In the parking lot in front of the building, other automobiles and motorcycles were also set on fire.
"Various rooms, including the garage on the ground floor, have been set on fire. The fire is still burning, and neither the police, BGB, nor the Fire Service have arrived yet. We are trapped inside. The situation is dire, but important offices and archives are safe for now. Hundreds of protesters are stationed outside," BTV Director of Administration Ruhul Amin told the Bangla Tribune.
While the Indian Government issued an advisory, the US Embassy in Dhaka remained closed on Thursday and advised its citizens to avoid demonstrations and gatherings.
The Supreme Court will hear the government's appeal against a High Court verdict that ordered the reinstatement of the quota on August 7. Prime Minister Hasina has urged the students to remain patient until the verdict is delivered.