BEIJING – Bangladesh is witnessing deadly clashes and now internet and mobile services were disrupted after days of intense protests over government job allocations.
Reports in international media said 32 people have died this week amid widespread unrest. The recent unrest in the country worsened after Sheikh Hasina’s re-election as PM for a fourth consecutive term.
After days of clashes, the Bangladesh government imposed an internet blackout after Thursday’s violence, during which students sought to enforce a nationwide complete shutdown.
The country’s Dhaka is experiencing a near-total internet blackout, with phone lines also down. Thousands of protesters attacked state broadcaster BTV, vandalising the premises, smashing windows and lights, and setting parts of the building on fire.
Several workers were trapped in Bangladesh and appealed for fire service’s assistance. As the situation remained dire, PM Sheikh Hasina made a televised appeal for calm after days of violent protests.
Students are protesting against a system that allocates a third of public sector jobs to the relatives of war veterans from the 1971 independence war, arguing it is discriminatory and advocating for merit-based recruitment.
Five killed, hundreds injured as Bangladesh gripped by anti-quota protests
