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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Manipur: Autopsy reports reveal multiple bullet wounds, lacerations on bodies of 3 killed in Jiribam
Imphal, Nov 24: The autopsy reports of three of the six persons killed in Manipur's Jiribam district by suspected Kuki militants revealed multiple bullet injuries and lacerations on various parts of their bodies, officials said on Sunday.
The report of three-year-old Chingkheinganba Singh showed that his right eye was missing and he had a bullet wound in the skull, they said.
The report also noted cut wounds, fractures in the chest, and lacerations on the forearm and other parts of his body. Signed on November 17, the report indicated that the child's body was in a "state of decomposition", they added.
The report said the cause of death would be pending until the receipt of the chemical analysis report of viscera from the Directorate of Forensic Sciences in Guwahati, officials said.
The post-mortem examinations were conducted at the Silchar Medical College Hospital (SMCH) in Assam's Cachar district.
The report also detailed the injuries sustained by his mother, L Heitonbi Devi (25), who had "three bullet wounds in the chest and one in the buttock", officials said.
According to the report, her body was brought to SMCH on November 18, around seven days after her death, they said.
The child's grandmother, Y Rani Devi (60), suffered five bullet wounds -- one in the skull, two in the chest, one in the abdomen, and one in an arm, officials said.
Her body was brought to SMCH on November 17, at least three to five days after her death, the report noted.
The autopsy reports also showed deep lacerations on many parts of the bodies of the two women.
The cause of Rani Devi's death is also yet to be known, awaiting the chemical analysis report of the viscera, officials said.
The post-mortem reports of one more woman and two children are still pending, they said.
The six persons belonging to the Meitei community had gone missing from a relief camp in Jiribam after a gunfight between security forces and suspected Kuki-Zo militants that resulted in the deaths of 10 insurgents on November 11.
Their bodies were found in the Jiri river in Jiribam district, and the nearby Barak river in Assam's Cachar over the next few days.
