Bangladesh imposes indefinite curfew, cuts internet as fresh protests erupt in Dhaka
DHAKA: Bangladesh's army was deployed to the streets to enforce an indefinite nationwide shutdown on Sunday as protesters clashed with authorities amid a new wave of demonstrations calling for the prime minister's resignation, which comes several weeks after a deadly crackdown.
Thousands of Bangladeshi protesters took to the streets of Dhaka on Saturday and Sunday as student leaders launched a nationwide civil disobedience campaign to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The ill-fated protests came after earlier demonstrations in July, which began with students demanding an end to a quota system for government jobs, escalated into violence.
Those nationwide campus rallies were attacked by pro-government groups, leading to clashes with security forces, a week-long communications blackout, a shutdown, and more than 200 deaths.
After demonstrators returned to the streets in what appeared to be their largest numbers yet, Bangladesh's home ministry said an indefinite nationwide curfew would begin at 6pm on Sunday, while services of the internet were closed again.
More than 50 people were killed and dozens injured in the latest round of clashes, according to the country's main Bengali-language newspaper Prothom Alo, as police fired tear gas and stun grenades to disperse tens of thousands. of protesters.
Students Against Discrimination, one of the main groups behind the initial protests, called on “students from all over the country to travel to Dhaka” on Monday.
“The time has come to make the final signature of this student revolt. Come to Dhaka to be a part of history,” said Asif Mahmud, the group's coordinator, in a statement issued after the curfew was announced.
“Students will create a new Bangladesh.”
While the Supreme Court eventually struck down most of the quota to open civil service positions to candidates based on merit, the government's response to last month's demonstrations and the arrest of thousands turned the student-led protests into a public movement, with several groups joining in recent days, including teachers and TV stars.
“The current situation is best described as a massive popular uprising. It enjoys the support of the entire nation, except for a few beneficiaries of the regime,” Salimullah Khan, a political analyst and professor at the Bangladesh University of Liberal Arts, told Arab News.
“Repressive measures are solely responsible for these mass murders and crimes against humanity. The real conclusion is in the immediate exit from the regime. Dithering will only cost more lives.”
The protests have become a major challenge for Hasina, who returned to power for a fourth consecutive term in January in an election boycotted by her main opponents, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
“The BNP strongly supports the demands and commitments of the students and supports them unwaveringly,” Mohammed Nawshad Zamir, the international secretary of the BNP, told Arab News.
“Therefore, we must persist in our street demonstrations until the illegitimate regime of Sheikh Hasina is removed and a consensus national government is established.”
Hasina's party, the ruling Awami League, said the student-led movement was “politicised”.
Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, an Awami League lawmaker, told Arab News: “It is a conspiracy to destroy the country. With the current situation, it has now been proven.
“Our law enforcers are still showing maximum tolerance towards the protesters. But they have to understand, that doesn't mean we're weak.”
However, efforts to suppress the civil movement in Bangladesh, which included “random and disproportionate use of force by law enforcement agencies”, were on a “never seen before” scale, Dr Iftekharuzzaman said. executive director at Transparency International Bangladesh.
“It's pretty ominous. Unfortunately, we see that there is no way out of this situation or light at the end of the tunnel, as the use of force to manage the crisis continues,” he told Arab News.
“The authorities ignored the power of the student movement and on the other hand the authorities considered themselves invincible… They did not realize that the student movement is invincible here in the history of Bangladesh.”
