At least 39 people have died following clashes between student protesters and riot police in Bangladesh, with 32 fatalities occurring on Thursday alone.
In addition, 104 police officers and 30 journalists have been injured in the violent confrontations. The protests erupted over demands to end a quota system that reserves over half of civil service jobs for certain groups, according to AFP.
On Friday, Bangladesh woke to widespread destruction from Thursday’s protests, which saw numerous government buildings damaged. The unrest has also led to a nationwide internet blackout. The death toll is expected to rise as clashes have been reported in nearly half of the country’s 64 districts.
A police statement issued after the internet shutdown said protesters had engaged in “destructive activities,” torching and vandalizing numerous police and government offices. Among the targeted buildings was the Dhaka headquarters of state broadcaster Bangladesh Television, which went offline after hundreds of enraged students stormed the premises and set fire to a building.
“About 100 policemen were injured in the clashes yesterday,” Faruk Hossain, a spokesman for the capital’s police force, told AFP. “Around 50 police booths were burnt.”
The statement warned that if the destruction continued, the authorities would “be forced to make maximum use of law.” Hospital staff indicated that police fire was responsible for at least two-thirds of the deaths reported so far.
At least 26 districts reported clashes on Thursday, with broadcaster Independent Television noting that more than 700 people were injured throughout the day, including 104 police officers and 30 journalists. The near-daily marches have been demanding an end to the quota system, which critics argue benefits children of pro-government groups that support Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Hasina, 76, has been in power since 2009 and secured her fourth consecutive term in January after a contested election.
Rights groups accuse Hasina’s government of misusing state institutions to maintain power and suppress dissent, including the extrajudicial killing of opposition activists. In response to the escalating violence, the government ordered schools and universities to close indefinitely and increased police efforts to restore order. Despite this, students have pledged to continue their protests.
“Our first demand is that the prime minister must apologize to us,” 18-year-old protester Bidisha Rimjhim told AFP on Thursday. “Secondly, justice must be ensured for our killed brothers,” she added.
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