The Bangladesh government enforced a total internet shutdown on Monday amid surging protests. Protesters had threatened a "Long March to Dhaka", after a bloody weekend in which nearly 100 people were killed in violent clashes between forces demanding that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resign and supporters of the ruling party.
The violence began Sunday morning when the demonstrators, who were part of the Students Against Discrimination movement and demonstrating for Hasina's resignation over problems with the job quota for students, clashed with the activists of the ruling Awami League, Chhatra League, and Jubo League.
Reports by Bengali newspaper Prothom Alo said that 98 people were killed in this clash, which included 14 police officers. After the violence, authorities have enforced a country-wide curfew and shut off mobile internet indefinitely.
The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement has advanced a day the "Long March to Dhaka" following the unrest and will now take place on Monday. The development comes after an emergency meeting called by the student movement, said one of its coordinators, Asif Mahmud. The coordinator has called upon students from all parts of the country to move towards Dhaka, saying the movement was at its juncture and called upon the public to participate in what he termed as a historic moment.
The Curfew foiled the scheduled mourning procession of the Awami League, and very thin traffic was seen in roads throughout the capital. Students of different institutions assembled at the premises of Dhaka Central Shaheed Minar, but the police dispersed them by firing tear gas.
The government has shut down the internet, including all Meta platforms such as Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram, amid continuous tensions. The government stated Sunday that there have been incidents of terrorism and vowed strict measures against the perpetrators. A declaration for a three-day general holiday was announced starting Monday.
India has warned its citizens against going to Bangladesh as the violence rages on. The University Teachers' Network has demanded a caretaker government and Hasina's resignation, to pave the way for the transfer of power to the proposed government. They met the press with a "Proposal for Transition to a Democratic Bangladesh Free of Discrimination" to outline their plan.
This unrest follows violent clashes in the past, killing over 200 people and more than 11,000 arrests pertaining to demonstrations against the job quota system for war veterans' families. Further violence was seen on Sunday with attacks on government buildings and public offices in 39 districts. Authorities have deployed troops, border guards, and the Rapid Action Battalion.
It was on Saturday that Prime Minister Hasina offered to open negotiations with the movement's leaders, but her proposal was rejected. The Government Officials have been hinting at an overtaking of the peaceful protests by fundamentalist groups and opposition elements in a bid to maliciously taint their movement. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, called for protection of human rights and against any violation of the same.
Read also | Violent Clashes in Bangladesh Leave Nearly 100 Dead and Hundreds Injured
Read also | Trump Intensifies Attacks on Harris with Personal Innuendos
