Curfew imposed in Bangladesh as dozens killed during students´ protest

Dozens of people were killed and several hundred injured as members of law enforcement agencies and ruling Awami League’s student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League clashed with protesting students demanding quota reform in government jobs at places in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country on Friday, local and international media reported.

Huge protests across Bangladesh escalated into deadly violence this week with clashes between students, pro-government supporters and armed police fueling widespread anger.

More than 50 people were killed in the violence on Friday, which has seen riot police use tear gas and rubber bullets against protesters and crowds of demonstrators armed with sticks filling the streets and university campuses in the capital Dhaka and other cities, local newspapers said.

Earlier, 25 people were killed in clashes during the quota protest on Tuesday and Thursday.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh authority imposed curfew and deployed military early Saturday to bring the situation under control.

State broadcaster Bangladesh Television (BTV) was off air on Friday after student demonstrators allegedly set fire to its headquarters, reported Cable News Network (CNN), quoting local media, and protesters have called for a nationwide shutdown in a major challenge to the government of longstanding Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Mobile and internet services have been cut, schools and universities ordered to close, and security forces deployed to quell the unrest, with human rights groups accusing authorities of using unlawful force against protesters, the CNN report added.