Bangladesh army enforces curfew as students-led protests spiral

20/7/2024 16:13

        Bangladesh soldiers patrolled Dhaka's deserted streets on Saturday amid a curfew to quell deadly students-led protests against government job quotas that have killed more than 100 people this week.
        
        A suspension on internet and text message services has remained in place since Thursday, cutting off Bangladesh from the world as police cracked down on protests that have continued despite a ban on public gatherings.
        
        The violent clashes have killed at least 105 people and injured thousands this week, according to data from hospitals across Bangladesh. The Dhaka Medical College Hospital received 27 dead bodies on Friday between 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
        
        The nationwide unrest initially broke out over student anger against new quotas for government jobs, including 30% for the families of those who fought for independence from Pakistan.
        
        That measure has opened old and sensitive political fault lines between those who fought for Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan in 1971 and those accused of collaborating with Islamabad.