The number of victims of violence accompanying student protests in Bangladesh has risen to 105 today, according to the AFP agency, citing data from local hospitals. In the evening local time (afternoon SELČ), some demonstrators broke into a prison in the central part of the country, from where they freed up to hundreds of prisoners and set the building on fire, AFP further reported.
Photo: SITA/AP, Rajib Dhar
A dead policeman lies on the street after clashing with students during day-long protests against the allocation of government jobs in Dhaka, July 18, 2024.
“The prisoners escaped from the prison and the protesters then set it on fire. I don’t know the exact number of escaped prisoners, but there could have been hundreds,” said a police officer familiar with the incident on condition of anonymity. The building is located in Narsingdi district near Dhaka. In Dhaka alone, more than 50 students lost their lives today, according to AFP.
Students in Bangladesh are protesting against the public sector job allocation system. The system heavily favors the children of war heroes who fought for the country’s independence from Pakistan in 1971 and is discriminatory, according to the students.
According to the AP agency, even today, the police and security forces in Bangladesh shot at the protesters and used tear gas against them. In Dhaka, the authorities banned all gatherings. Internet provision was also limited, universities were closed.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, condemned the actions of the security forces, calling them “particularly shocking and unacceptable”. Turk was further “very concerned” by reports of the deployment of paramilitary units such as the Bangladesh Border Guard and the Rapid Deployment Battalion. According to him, they have been violating human rights for a long time.
The protests started a week ago, but have intensified sharply since Monday. According to AP, they represent the biggest challenge for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Vajidova, who continues her fourth term after winning the January elections marked by a boycott of the main opposition parties.
The bloodiest day of the protests so far was Thursday, when at least 22 people were killed, according to local media. The students allegedly tried to completely paralyze the country, and some of the demonstrators set fire to the building of the state television station BTV.
Source: spravy.pravda.sk
