Bangladesh govt orders complete internet shutdown as protesters plan 'Long March to Dhaka'
Dhaka (PTI): The Bangladesh government on Monday ordered a complete internet shutdown as protestors asked the general public to join a "Long March to Dhaka", a day after over 100 people died in fierce clashes between demonstrators demanding Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation and the ruling party supporters in different parts of the country.
The clashes broke out Sunday morning when protesters attending the non-cooperation programme under the banner of the Students Against Discrimination with the one-point demand of Hasina's resignation over a job quota system faced opposition from the supporters of the ruling Awami League, Chhatra League, and Jubo League activists.
At least 101 people, including 14 policemen, were killed in clashes on Sunday, leading Bengali-language newspaper Prothom Alo reported.
The violence forced authorities to cut off mobile internet and enforce a nationwide curfew for an indefinite period.
The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement has rescheduled their "Long March to Dhaka" to be held on Monday, a day earlier than initially planned.
The decision was taken during an urgent meeting amid growing concerns in the country, Asif Mahmud, a coordinator of the movement, said in a press release issued on Sunday night.
“In an urgent decision to review the situation, our 'March to Dhaka' program has been changed from August 6 to August 5. In other words, we are calling on students from all over the country to travel to Dhaka tomorrow (Monday),” he said.
“The final battle has come. It is time to make the final signature of this student citizen uprising. Come to Dhaka to be a part of history. Students will create a new Bangladesh,” Asif added, asking the general public to join it.
The Awami League's planned mourning procession on Monday has been cancelled due to a curfew. There was thin traffic on roads in various areas in the capital on Monday morning.
Some students from various educational institutions gathered at Dhaka Central Shaheed Minar before and after 10 am to participate in the 'March to Dhaka' programme, prompting the police to fire tear gas shells to disperse them.
All students and parents were requested to return home safely.
The government ordered a total shutdown of the internet as the tense situation prevailed, Prothom Alo newspaper said.
According to a government press release on Sunday, terrorist attacks are taking place in various places. Strict action will be taken against the terrorist attackers.
A three-day general holiday has been declared in the country from Monday.
India has advised all its nationals to avoid travelling to Bangladesh until further notice due to ongoing violence.
Meanwhile, the University Teachers’ Network has proposed to form an interim government immediately consisting of people of different sections and professions.
According to the proposal, Hasina will have to hand over power to the interim government.
The teachers’ network held a press conference titled ‘Proposal of an outline for transition to a democratic Bangladesh free of discrimination’ at the Sagar-Runi Auditorium of Dhaka Reporters’ Unity Sunday.
The clashes on Sunday erupted days after over 200 people were killed in violent clashes between the police and mostly student protesters demanding an end to the controversial quota system that reserved 30 per cent of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh's War of Independence in 1971. Since then, more than 11,000 people have been arrested.
Officials claimed that Sunday's protests were joined by unidentified people and activists of rightwing Islami Shashontantra Andolon, which erected barricades on several major highways and within the capital city.
Houses of public representatives, Awami League offices, police stations and other government installations were attacked, vandalised and torched in 39 districts on Sunday.
The situation prompted authorities to order a curfew in major cities and small towns across Bangladesh for an indefinite period from 6 PM Sunday, mobilising troops, paramilitary border guards BGB, and the elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion alongside police.
The government ordered the shutdown of Meta platforms Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram. The mobile operators were ordered to shut down 4G mobile internet
Prime Minister Hasina on Saturday offered to sit for talks with the coordinators of the movement. However, they rejected her proposal.
The government leaders earlier claimed that the “peaceful campaign” was hijacked by fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami and their student front Islami Chhatra Shibir being backed by ex-premier Khaleda Zia’s BNP.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk asked the country's political leadership and the security forces to abide by their obligations to protect the right to life, and the freedom of peaceful assembly and expression.
At the same time, he said, accountability for human rights violations, including the responsibility of senior officers and orders, is very important.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta accuses Mamata Banerjee of stalling SIR; TMC hits back
Kolkata (PTI): Alleging that her West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee had approached the Supreme Court to stall the SIR exercise to prevent the identification of infiltrators, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday claimed that the people of the state have made up their minds to dislodge the Trinamool Congress from power.
The TMC countered strongly, urging Gupta to "look into her own backyard" and accused her of making absurd allegations against the TMC government without checking facts.
Addressing participants at the 'Nari Sankalp Yatra' organised by the BJP's women's wing at Science City auditorium here, Gupta alleged that the "hands-off" and appeasement policies of the TMC government had allowed thousands of infiltrators to enter the state in recent years.
She claimed that this had put a strain on basic rights such as access to water, electricity, ration, education, livelihood and the right to vote for genuine citizens.
"She wants to perpetuate this and hence is trying to stall the SIR exercise, which aims at identifying and deporting infiltrators. Imagine a chief minister going to the apex court to argue against an exercise meant to ensure free and fair polls," Gupta said.
The BJP leader alleged that appeasement politics had reached an "alarming level" under the TMC regime.
Raising concerns over women's safety, she claimed that women in the state were not secure despite having a woman chief minister.
Referring to the rape-murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Hospital, Gupta alleged that the state government had failed to respond adequately to such crimes.
She also referred to the alleged rape of a woman medic in Durgapur and another law student on a Kolkata college campus, claiming that criminals had been emboldened to commit brutalities against women.
She alleged that in crimes against women, overall crime incidents and child marriages, West Bengal remained among the top -- "a slur on a state which once led intellectual and social movements and set examples for the rest of the country," she said.
Criticising the state government's welfare initiatives, she said schemes such as Kanyashree were built on "false claims" and asserted that women needed security rather than assurances.
Accusing the state government of blocking central schemes, Gupta alleged that funds worth "lakhs of crores of rupees" had not reached the poor due to non-implementation of programmes such as Ayushman Bharat, PM Awas Yojana and Jal Jeevan Mission by the state.
"You are only interested in renaming projects and taking credit," she said.
Gupta also alleged that the education sector in the state had been adversely affected, saying several state-run schools had closed due to a shortage of teachers and that the government was opposed to the National Education Policy.
Drawing a comparison with BJP-ruled Delhi, Gupta said, "People have already voted out 'Bhaia' (a reference to former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal). Now it is your turn to bid farewell to 'Didi'." Calling upon women to resist what she termed "strong-arm tactics", she urged them to assert their strength, invoking the imagery of Goddess Durga.
"Bengal has the right to live with dignity, and women have the right to live with dignity," she added.
Reacting to Gupta's allegations, West Bengal Women and Child Welfare minister Shashi Panja accused her of making "absurd allegations" against the Trinamool Congress government ahead of elections.
Panja alleged that during Gupta's tenure in Delhi, several incidents had raised serious concerns, including reports of missing young women and a blast near the Red Fort.
She also criticised the air pollution situation in the national capital, claiming that people were struggling to breathe.
The TMC leader said that despite being in power for a year, Gupta was making "tall claims" instead of addressing key issues in Delhi.
Panja further alleged that the Delhi CM visited West Bengal during elections to "peddle false allegations" against the state government.
Rebutting Gupta, the TMC said in a post on X said, "Madam why did you go off-script again? For your edification, here are the cold, hard facts: In total cases of crimes (IPC + SLL), Bengal ranks a respectable 15th, far safer than BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, which languish near the bottom."
"In overall crime rate, Bengal sits comfortably at 28th. Who's second? Your own Delhi. Double Engine Gujarat and Haryana grab 4th and 5th as top-tier crime havens," the TMC said.
"In child marriage, Assam again takes the shameful pole position. And yet you dare lecture Bengal? Stop embarrassing yourself, stop the hypocrisy, and maybe fix the rotting mess in your own backyard before pointing fingers at a state that's outperforming your disasters on every key metric," the TMC countered.
