The US State Department has raised its travel advisory level for Bangladesh. Civil war in South Asian countryPolice have imposed strict curfews with “shoot on sight” orders and army troops are patrolling parts of the capital after clashes over civil service postings left dozens dead and hundreds injured.
A travel advisory is urging Americans to reconsider traveling to the South Asian country.
“Demonstrations and violent clashes are reported to be ongoing in Dhaka city, surrounding areas and across Bangladesh,” the ministry said in a press release. “Communications are cut off in Dhaka and across the country. Due to the security situation, there may be delays in the provision of regular consular services.”
Americans traveling to Bangladesh should avoid demonstrations and political rallies, check local media for the latest news and stay in touch with the State Department, the news release said.
The US Embassy in Dhaka said on Friday there were reports of “hundreds and possibly thousands” of injuries across Bangladesh and described the situation as “highly volatile.”
A “shoot on sight” curfew began at midnight and was temporarily relaxed from noon to 2 pm local time to allow people to run essential errands. Obaidul Quader, secretary general of the ruling Awami League party, said the curfew was expected to last until 10 am on Sunday and that in extreme cases police would be allowed to open fire on mobs.
The demonstrations, mainly called by student groups, began several weeks ago in protest against a quota system that reserves up to 30 percent of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence. Violence erupted on Tuesday, with the daily Prothom Alo reporting that at least 103 people were killed.
Friday appeared to be the deadliest day so far: Somoi TV reported 43 deaths and an Associated Press reporter saw 23 bodies at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, but it was not immediately clear whether all of them died on Friday. A further 22 people were reported to have died on Thursday as protesting students tried to “shut down the country completely.”
Bangladeshi authorities have not released an official figure for the dead or injured.
Protests lead to chaos and violence
Authorities said the curfew was intended to quell further violence after police and protesters clashed in the streets and on university campuses in Dhaka and cities across South Asia. Authorities banned mobile phone and internet services, cutting off online communications. Several television news channels went off the air and most local newspaper websites were taken down. Meanwhile, key government websites, including those of the Bangladesh Central Bank and the Prime Minister’s Office, appeared to be hacked and defaced.
Local media also reported that around 800 inmates escaped from a prison in Narsingdi district, north of the capital, after protesters stormed the facility and set it on fire on Friday.
The unrest has highlighted fractures in Bangladesh’s governance and economy and frustration among young people who are struggling to find good jobs after graduation. It is also posing a major challenge to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was elected to a fourth consecutive term in January elections boycotted by the main opposition group.
Protesters say the quota system is discriminatory and favours supporters of Hasina’s Awami League party, which led the independence movement, and should be replaced with a meritocratic system. Hasina has defended the quota system, saying veterans should receive the fullest respect for their service in the war with Pakistan, regardless of their political affiliation.
Representatives from both sides met late on Friday to try to find a solution. At least three student leaders attended, demanding reforms to the current quota system, reopening of student dormitories closed by police after the clashes, and the resignation of university officials who failed to protect campuses from violence. Law Minister Anisul Haq said late on Friday that the government was ready to discuss their demands.
The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party has supported the protests and vowed to organise its own demonstrations on Friday after many of its supporters joined the student protests. But in a statement it said its supporters were not responsible for the violence and rejected accusations by the ruling party that it was using the protests for political gain.
The Awami League and the BNP have accused each other of stoking political unrest and violence ahead of national elections that were recently marred by a crackdown on several opposition figures, with Hasina’s government accusing the opposition of trying to disrupt the vote.
In 2018, the government suspended the quotas following massive student protests. But in June, Bangladesh’s High Court quashed that decision and reinstated the quotas after a petition was filed by families of 1971 army veterans. The Supreme Court reserved the ruling pending an appeal and said in a statement that it would consider the matter on Sunday.
Prime Minister Hasina called on protesters to await the court’s verdict.