Fresh clashes between ruling party supporters and protesters demanding Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation erupted on Sunday, leading to over 100 fatalities and hundreds of injuries. This latest bout of violence raises the death toll from the ongoing anti-government protests to 300.
Bangladeshi security forces patrolled the capital, Dhaka, on Monday as protesters vowed to return to the streets following the deadliest day of unrest since demonstrations began last month. In response to the escalating violence, the government imposed an indefinite nationwide curfew, cut off mobile internet, and declared a three-day general holiday.
The recent clashes were sparked by a non-cooperation program organized by Students Against Discrimination, demanding the government’s resignation over a controversial job quota system. The protesters faced fierce opposition from supporters of the Awami League.
Local media reports indicate that hundreds were injured in clashes, shootings, and counter-chases across the country. Police headquarters reported 14 officers killed, with 13 deaths occurring in Sirajganj’s Enayetpur police station and one in Comilla’s Elliotganj. More than 300 policemen were injured.
This surge in violence follows earlier clashes where over 200 people were killed, predominantly student protesters opposing a quota system that reserves 30 percent of government jobs for relatives of veterans from Bangladesh’s War of Independence in 1971. Since the protests began, more than 11,000 individuals have been arrested.
In light of the unrest, authorities mobilized troops, paramilitary border guards (BGB), and the elite Rapid Action Battalion alongside police. A shutdown of Meta platforms Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram was ordered, and mobile operators were directed to disable 4G internet services.
Prime Minister Hasina labeled the protesters as “terrorists” rather than students and urged citizens to suppress them firmly. “I appeal to the countrymen to suppress these terrorists with a firm hand,” she stated.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India issued an advisory, urging Indian nationals to avoid traveling to Bangladesh and those already there to exercise extreme caution. The High Commission of India in Dhaka provided emergency contact numbers for assistance.
United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk condemned the “shocking violence” and urged the Bangladeshi government to cease targeting peaceful protesters. “With a mass march on Dhaka planned for tomorrow, I am deeply worried that there will be further loss of life and wider destruction,” Turk expressed.
Prime Minister Hasina convened a National Committee on Security Affairs meeting, attended by top security officials, to address the spreading violence. Casualty reports indicated multiple fatalities across various regions, including Feni, Laxmipur, Sirajganj, Kishoreganj, Dhaka, Bogura, Munshiganj, Magura, Bhola, Rangpur, Pabna, Sylhet, Cumilla, Sherpur, Joypurhat, Keraniganj, Savar, Cox’s Bazar, Barisal, and Sreepur.
In Narsingdi, six Awami League leaders and activists were beaten to death in clashes with protesters. Most shops and malls in Dhaka remained closed amidst the unrest. Hundreds of students and professionals blocked traffic at key intersections, chanting anti-government slogans.
The Daily Star reported incidents of vandalism and arson at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU). Protest coordinator Nahid Islam announced a mass sit-in on Monday to press their demands.
Meanwhile, homes of several Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leaders were targeted. The BNP and its allies, along with various political, professional, and cultural groups, have thrown their support behind the student-led movement. Prime Minister Hasina’s offer to negotiate with the movement’s coordinators was rejected.
