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Dhaka: The government of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday announced a nationwide curfew in Bangladesh. Along with this, the deployment of military forces was ordered to maintain order after violence during protests that have been going on for several days demanding reforms in the reservation system in government jobs. Obaidul Quader, general secretary of the ruling Awami League party in Bangladesh, made this announcement. The announcement was made after police and security officials opened fire on protesters and banned all gatherings in the capital. According to reports, several people have died in the violence. Quader said that the army has been deployed to help the civil administration maintain order.
Internet and mobile services shut down
Let us tell you that protests have been going on for several days in Bangladesh demanding reforms in the reservation system in government jobs. Meanwhile, on Friday, police and security officials opened fire on protesters and fired tear gas shells. At the same time, internet and mobile services have also been shut down amid violent protests. Protests started a few weeks ago in the capital Dhaka and some places, but they gained momentum from Monday. These protests are the biggest challenge for Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. According to reports, more than 100 people have died due to this demonstration so far.
Police and paramilitary forces deployed
The incident of firing on the protesters took place when the protesting students tried to observe a “complete shutdown” in the country. Officials could not be immediately contacted to confirm the death toll. This chaos has exposed the frustration of young graduates facing cracks in Bangladesh’s governance and economy and lack of good jobs. The government has deployed police and paramilitary forces across the capital to close campuses and prevent protests.
Many services disrupted
On Friday, Dhaka police said they were banning all gatherings and demonstrations in the capital. Internet services and mobile data were widely disrupted in the capital Dhaka on Thursday night and remained down on Friday as well. Social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp were also not working. The internet remained disrupted on Friday, disrupting flights, banks, media outlets and companies around the world, but the disruption in Bangladesh was much worse than elsewhere.
What are the protesters demanding?
Protesters have been holding rallies for several days against the system of reserving some public sector jobs for relatives of heroes who fought in the 1971 Liberation War against Pakistan. They argue that the system is discriminatory and benefits supporters of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, whose Awami League party led the Liberation Movement. Students want it to be transformed into a merit-based system. Hasina, on the other hand, defended the reservation system, saying those who contributed to the struggle should be respected regardless of their political affiliation.
