Bangladesh awoke on Friday to a scene of widespread destruction following the most violent day of ongoing student demonstrations.
The protests, which have been intensifying over the past week, reached a critical point on Thursday, resulting in government buildings being set on fire by demonstrators and prompting authorities to implement a nationwide internet blackout.
The unrest has claimed at least 39 lives, with 32 of those fatalities occurring on Thursday alone. The death toll is expected to rise as reports of clashes continue to emerge from nearly half of the country’s 64 districts.
Destructive Activities
In the wake of an almost complete shutdown of the nation’s internet, police issued a statement detailing the extent of the damage. According to the report, protesters engaged in “destructive activities” across numerous police and government offices, including acts of arson and vandalism.
One of the most significant targets was the Dhaka headquarters of the state broadcaster, Bangladesh Television. The station remains off the air after hundreds of enraged students stormed the premises and set fire to a building.
Faruk Hossain, a spokesman for the capital’s police force, provided more specific details to AFP:
“About 100 policemen were injured in the clashes yesterday. Around 50 police booths were burnt.”
The police statement ominously warned that if the destruction persisted, they would “be forced to make maximum use of law.”
The violence has not been one-sided, however. Based on descriptions provided by hospital staff to AFP, at least two-thirds of the reported deaths so far have been attributed to police fire.
The scale of the unrest is staggering, with at least 26 districts around the country reporting clashes on Thursday, according to Independent Television.
The network also reported that more than 700 people had been wounded throughout the day, including 104 police officers and 30 journalists.
End a Quota System
The protests, which have been occurring nearly daily this month, initially focused on demands to end a quota system that reserves more than half of civil service posts for specific groups, including children of veterans from Bangladesh’s 1971 liberation war against Pakistan.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had called for calm until the Supreme Court rules on job quotas.
Critics argue that this scheme disproportionately benefits children of pro-government groups that support Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been in power since 2009 and recently won her fourth consecutive election in January – a vote that was notably devoid of genuine opposition.
Hasina’s government has faced accusations from rights groups of misusing state institutions to consolidate power and suppress dissent, including allegations of extrajudicial killings of opposition activists.
Indefinite Closure of Schools
In response to the escalating situation, the administration ordered the indefinite closure of schools and universities this week as police intensify efforts to regain control of the deteriorating law and order situation.
Mubashar Hasan, a Bangladesh expert at the University of Oslo in Norway, provided insight into the broader implications of the protests, telling AFP:
“They are protesting against the repressive nature of the state. The students are in fact calling her a dictator.”
Despite Prime Minister Hasina’s attempt to calm the situation through a national address on the now-offline state broadcaster, students remain resolute in their campaign. Protester Bidisha Rimjhim, 18, articulated their demands to AFP:
“Our first demand is that the prime minister must apologize to us. Secondly, justice must be ensured for our killed brothers.”
The situation has been further complicated by a “nation-scale” internet shutdown, as reported by the London-based watchdog Netblocks. The organization warned on social media platform X:
“The disruption prevents families from contacting each other and stifles efforts to document human rights violations.”
