Bangladesh unrest: Government imposes curfew as protests continue

“The federal government has determined to impose a curfew and deploy the army in support of the civilian authorities,” he mentioned in a press release.

Some 67 folks have now died since violence broke out – though the precise toll is troublesome to evaluate due partly to an nearly full communications shutdown, with cellular web and phone traces reportedly down.

Bus and prepare providers have reportedly additionally been halted, whereas images from Dhaka present massive numbers of police in riot gear on the streets.

Faculties and universities throughout Bangladesh have additionally been shut till additional discover.

However this has achieved little to cease the protesters, who vowed to proceed with their very own “Full Shutdown”, which has seen them blockade roads throughout the town.

On Friday, college students chanting “benefit, benefit” and “we can’t let the blood that has been shed of our brothers go in useless” had been joined by plenty of dad and mom outdoors Dhaka college.

The scholars are arguing that the quota system is discriminatory, and are asking for recruitment based mostly on benefit. Critics say the system unfairly advantages the households of pro-government teams who help Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who gained her fourth straight election in January.

A march organised by Islamist events was met with tear gasoline, rubber bullets and stun grenades.

Protestors additionally stormed the Narsingdi district jail on Friday, the place a number of hundred inmates had been reported to have escaped onto the streets. A number of witnesses confirmed the incident to BBC Bangla.