At least eight more people were killed in Bangladesh today as police opened fire on students protesting for quota reforms in the capital Dhaka and other parts of the country, bringing the total death toll to 14.
In the Uttara neighborhood of Dhaka, at least four protesters were killed in a clash with police, according to the superintendent of Kuwait Bangladesh Friendship Government Hospital, as reported by the Daily Star newspaper.
Another hospital in the same area treated around 500 people following the violence.
Among the new fatalities, one student was killed in the Badda neighborhood, another in Savar on the outskirts of Dhaka, and a teenager was killed earlier in the day during clashes in Dhaka.
Additionally, a student was killed in the central Madaripur district as police and supporters of the pro-ruling Awami League party clashed with the protesters, confirmed Madaripur Superintendent of Police Mohammad Shafiur Rahman.
Witness testimonies, video and photographic evidence analysed and authenticated by Amnesty International and its Crisis Evidence Lab confirm the use of unlawful force by the police against student protesters.
Amnesty International said in a statement last night that additional witness testimonies confirm the continuation of a multi-year pattern of violence against protesters allegedly committed by members of the Bangladesh Chatra League (BCL), a group affiliated with the ruling party.
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People are having trouble accessing mobile phone internet networks as social media floods with footage of clashes and protests on campuses, including Dhaka and Jahangirnagar.
The government has deployed paramilitary troops to maintain law and order across the country, with over 7,000 soldiers stationed in major cities where police and protesters have clashed in the past three days.
Amid escalating violence, the government announced today that it would engage in dialogue with the protesting students regarding quota reforms. However, the students have so far rejected the government’s proposal for talks.
Thousands of students have been demonstrating since July 1 after a court reinstated quotas for government jobs, which had been abolished in 2018. The protesters are demanding changes to the current system, which reserves 56% of public job positions for certain groups.
Clashes began when protesters refused to leave a student dormitory after the government closed campuses. They also have rejected Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s call to return home.
On Wednesday, Hasina agreed to form a judicial committee to investigate the deaths during the protests.
