The Bangladesh army enforced a nationwide curfew following the government’s announcement to deploy the army to tackle the student protests that have killed 105 people so far. Over 405 Indian students have been evacuated so far, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said, adding that he was in constant touch with the Indian Embassy over the matter. Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that there were around 15,000 Indians, including 8,500 students, currently residing there, and they were all safe.
The agitators demand an end to the quota system in Bangladesh, which allocated 30 per cent reservation for kin of veterans who fought in the country’s war of independence in 1971 against Pakistan. They are of the stance that the quota system is discriminatory and benefits supporters of Hasina, whose Awami League Party led the independence movement. They want a merit-based system instead. That measure has opened old and sensitive political fault lines between those who fought for Bangladesh’s independence and those accused of collaborating with Islamabad.
Over the past five days, police have fired tear gas and hurled sound grenades to scatter protesters during the nationwide unrest, as demonstrators clashed with security personnel, throwing bricks and setting fire to vehicles.
The streets in Dhaka, Bangladesh’s capital, remain deserted amid the nationwide curfew imposed in the country. Reuters reported that Bangladesh soldiers continued to patrol through the empty streets on Saturday. Shortly, the curfew will be eased for two hours so that people can get out for essentials and emergency services.
With the death toll climbing and police unable to contain the violent protests, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government on Friday imposed a national curfew and deployed the military. The curfew will ease for two hours from 12 p.m. on Saturday to allow people to shop for supplies and complete other chores, TV channels reported.
The curfew will last until 10 a.m. on Sunday, at which point the government will assess the situation and decide the next course of action, the reports added.
Team BharatShakti
(With inputs from Reuters)