Written by Roma Paul
DHAKA (Reuters) – At least 73 people were killed and hundreds wounded in clashes in Bangladesh on Sunday as police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse tens of thousands of protesters demanding Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation.
The government announced a nationwide curfew starting at 6pm (12:00 GMT) on Sunday, the first time it has taken such a step during the ongoing protests that began last month. It also declared a three-day public holiday starting on Monday.
The unrest, which prompted the government to shut down internet services, poses the biggest test for Hasina in her 20-year rule after she won a fourth consecutive term in elections boycotted by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
Hasina’s critics, along with human rights groups, have accused her government of using excessive force against the protesters, a charge she and her ministers deny.
Protesters blocked major highways on Sunday as student demonstrators launched a non-cooperation programme to press for the government’s resignation, and violence spread across the country.
“Those protesting on the streets now are not students, but terrorists seeking to destabilize the nation,” Hasina said after a meeting of the National Security Committee attended by the chiefs of staff of the army, navy, air force, police and other agencies.
“I call on our citizens to suppress these terrorists with a strong hand.”
Police stations and ruling party offices were targeted as violence rocked the country of 170 million people.
Police official Bijoy Bosak said 12 policemen were beaten to death in the northwestern Sirajganj district.
At least eight people, including two students and a ruling party leader, were killed and dozens injured in violent clashes in several parts of the capital Dhaka, police and witnesses said.
with gunshots
Two construction workers were killed on their way to work and 30 others were injured in central Munsingang district during three-way clashes between protesters, police and ruling party activists, witnesses said.
“They were taken to the hospital with gunshot wounds,” said Abu Hanaa Mohammed Jamal, director of the area hospital.
Police said they did not fire any live ammunition.
In the northeastern district of Pabna, at least three people were killed and 50 others injured in clashes between protesters and activists from Hasina’s ruling Awami League party, according to witnesses.
Three people were killed in violence in the northern Bogura district, and 53 people were killed in 12 other districts, medical officials said.
“Attack on a hospital is unacceptable,” Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen said after a group vandalised a medical college hospital and set fire to vehicles, including an ambulance, in Dhaka.
For the second time during the recent protests, the government has shut down high-speed internet services, mobile carriers said. Social media platforms Facebook (NASDAQ:) and WhatsApp were unavailable, even over broadband connections.
Authorities in Bangladesh on Sunday ordered the country’s telecom providers to shut down 4G networks, effectively disrupting internet services, according to a confidential government memo seen by Reuters.
Government Orders
“You are requested to stop all 4G services until further notice, only 2G will be effective,” said the document issued by the National Telecommunications Monitoring Centre, a government intelligence agency.
Telecom companies were previously told their licenses would be revoked if they did not comply with government orders, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.
The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority did not respond to Reuters’ calls.
Last month, at least 150 people were killed and thousands injured in violence sparked by student protests against government job quotas.
The protests stopped after the Supreme Court cancelled most classes, but students returned to the streets in scattered protests last week, demanding justice for the families of those killed.
“I think the genie is out of the bottle and Hasina may not be able to put it back in the bottle,” said Shakil Ahmed, associate professor of government and politics at Jahangirnagar University.
“The Prime Minister must form a national government immediately to facilitate greater unity.”
Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Wakar Zaman on Saturday directed his officers to ensure the safety of lives, property and important government installations under any circumstances, according to a statement.
“The Bangladesh Army is a symbol of people’s trust. The Army has always been there and will always be there for the interests of the people and any needs of the state,” the statement quoted him as saying.
Zaman urged officers to be vigilant about “various rumours” circulating on social media, and to carry out their duties with honesty, integrity and fairness. Zaman will brief the media on Monday.