At least 27 people on Sunday were killed and numerous others injured in violent clashes as police used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse tens of thousands of protesters in Bangladesh, demanding Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation.
According to Reuter, the interior ministry imposed an indefinite nationwide curfew starting at 6 p.m. (1200 GMT) on Sunday—the first time such a measure has been enacted during the ongoing protests, which began in July.
This unrest marks the most significant challenge for the government since deadly demonstrations erupted following Hasina’s re-election to a fourth term in January.
The election, boycotted by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, has drawn criticism from opponents and human rights groups who accuse the government of excessive force—a claim denied by Hasina and her officials.
On Sunday, protesters blocked major highways as students launched a non-cooperation movement to push for the government’s resignation, leading to widespread violence.
“Those who are protesting on the streets right now are not students, but terrorists who are out to destabilize the nation,” Hasina said following a national security panel meeting. “I appeal to our countrymen to suppress these terrorists with a strong hand.”
In the central district of Munsiganj, two construction workers were killed and 30 others injured during clashes involving protesters, police, and ruling party activists.
“They were brought dead to the hospital with bullet wounds,” reported Abu Hena Mohammad Jamal, the district hospital’s superintendent.
Despite police claims of not using live ammunition, improvised explosives detonated, turning the area into a battlefield.
In Pabna, northeastern Bangladesh, at least three people were killed and 50 injured in a clash between protesters and Awami League activists.
Violence also claimed two lives in Bogura and 20 more across nine other districts, according to hospital officials.
Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen condemned an attack on a hospital, emphasizing that “An attack on a hospital is unacceptable,” after a group vandalized a medical college hospital and set fire to vehicles, including an ambulance, in Dhaka. “Everyone should refrain from this.”
For the second time amid recent protests, the government has shut down high-speed internet services, with mobile operators reporting outages of Facebook and WhatsApp, even via broadband connections.
In July’s protests resulted in at least 150 deaths, thousands of injuries, and about 10,000 arrests following demonstrations led by student groups opposing government job quotas.
Although the Supreme Court later abolished most of these quotas, sporadic protests resumed last week as students called for justice for the families of those killed.
