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.
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Duleep Trophy: Pacers shine as India B beat India A by 76 runs
Bengaluru, Sep 8: KL Rahul's gumption, which helped him pile a patient fifty, found no resonance among his colleagues as India B pacers led by Yash Dayal pushed India A to a 76-run defeat on the fourth and final day of their Duleep Trophy match here on Sunday.
Chasing 275, India A were bundled out for 198 in their second innings as left-arm seamer Dayal (3/50), with able support from his colleagues Mukesh Kumar (2/50) and Navdeep Saini (2/41), led the India B attack.
Rahul top-scored for 'A' with a 51.
In the first session of the day, India B made 184 all out in their second essay to muster a handy overall lead of 274.
The India A chase began on a shaky note as Mayank Agarwal departed in the second over itself, wafting Dayal away from his body to Nitish Kumar Reddy, who made a wonderful diving catch at second slip.
That brought Riyan Parag to the middle and the right-hander followed the path set on Saturday by Rishabh Pant and Sarfaraz Khan.
Parag took on the bowlers and pacer Mukesh bore the brunt of his aggression, getting smoked for two sixes and the second maximum touched the roof of the Chinnaswamy Stadium over the mid-wicket region.
Parag added 48 runs for the second with a rather subdued Shubman Gill, who was dropped by Nitish Reddy at slips off Mukesh on 16, and 31 came off the former's bat in just 18 balls.
But the approach was tough to sustain considering the kind of assistance the bowlers were getting here, and soon his massive hoick off Dayal took an edge off Parag's bat en route to stumper Rishabh Pant.
Gill (21) departed soon, falling to Saini for the second time in the match and on this occasion, he edged the pacer to Pant.
Dhruv Jurel poked Dayal well outside off-stump to Yashasvi Jaiswal at gully, as India batters perished to a combination of bowlers' persistence on that channel and their own carelessness.
They took the lunch at a queasy 76 for four that soon transpired into 99 for six after the dismissal of Shivam Dube and Tanush Kotian, an hour into the lunch.
However, Rahul batted out 180 minutes 121 balls and milked 42 runs for the seventh wicket with Kuldeep Yadav to delay the inevitable.
The standout shot in an otherwise dour innings was a whistling on drive off Mukesh that fetched him a boundary.
But Mukesh had his revenge soon when Rahul feathered a cut off him to Pant, who completed five catches in this innings, soon after reaching his fifty with a single off Saini.
It effectively signalled the end of the road of for India A, though Akash Deep (43, 42b, 3x4, 4x6) gave a few moments of fun with a cavalier innings.
But beyond the entertainment value, it always was a case of when more than if.
Earlier, resuming from their overnight score of 150 for six India B could only 34 runs more to the total before getting bundled out.
Pacer Akash, whom Sarfaraz Khan carted around for five fours in a row the previous day, found his mojo to add the scalps of Washington Sundar and Saini to complete a five-wicket haul (5/56).
The spell will keep his name floating among the contenders when the selectors sit together soon to pick up squad for two-match Test series against Bangladesh.
