A new round of violence in Bangladesh left at least eight people dead and hundreds of others injured as student protesters clashed with police and ruling party activists on Sunday, officials and media reports said, as protests that began over a governm.
A new round of violence in Bangladesh left at least eight people dead and hundreds of others injured as student protesters clashed with police and ruling party activists on Sunday, officials and media reports said, as protests that began over a government jobs quota continued with demands for the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The protests began as students called for an end to a quota system that awarded 30% of government jobs to relatives of veterans, but escalated into violence that left more than 200 dead in July.
Authorities closed schools and universities across the country, blocked internet access and imposed a shoot-on-sight curfew. At least 11,000 people have been arrested in recent weeks.
Protesters called for “non-cooperation,” urging people not to pay taxes and utility bills and not show up for work on Sunday, a working day in Bangladesh. Offices, banks and factories opened, while commuters in Dhaka and other cities faced challenges getting to work.
Meanwhile, thousands of members of the ruling Awami League party and its associate bodies took to the streets for counterprotests, raising the risk of violent confrontations.
