Bangladesh Protests Turn Deadly: Seven Killed Amid Calls for PM’s Resignation
DHAKA, Bangladesh (Reuters) – At least seven people were killed and dozens injured in Bangladesh on Sunday as police clashed with tens of thousands of protesters demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The unrest prompted the government to shut down internet services, marking its most significant challenge since deadly protests during the January elections.
The violence erupted across various districts, including the central district of Munsiganj, where two construction workers were killed on their way to work and 30 others injured in a three-way clash involving protesters, police, and ruling party activists. Hospital superintendent Abu Hena Mohammad Jamal confirmed the fatalities from bullet wounds, although police denied using live ammunition, attributing the chaos to improvised explosives.
In the northeastern district of Pabna, three people were killed and 50 injured in confrontations between protesters and Hasina’s ruling Awami League activists. Additionally, two more fatalities were reported in the northern district of Bogura.
The capital also witnessed violence as a group attacked the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical College Hospital amid a non-cooperation movement by student protesters demanding the government’s resignation. The recent unrest follows last month’s deadly protests led by student groups against government job quotas, which resulted in at least 150 deaths, thousands of injuries, and around 10,000 arrests.
Critics and human rights groups accuse Hasina’s government of using excessive force to suppress the movement, a claim the government denies. The shutdown of high-speed internet services further escalated tensions, with mobile operators confirming the unavailability of social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp.
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Bangladesh Protests Turn Deadly: Seven Killed Amid Calls for PM’s Resignation