Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina blamed her political opponents for lethal violence that swept the nation throughout latest student-led protests in opposition to quotas in authorities jobs, and mentioned Monday that the curfew can be lifted when the state of affairs improved.
His feedback got here a day after the South Asian nation’s high courtroom agreed to scrap most quotas in a ruling on Sunday, following days of clashes between protesters and safety forces that prompted the federal government to close down web companies, impose a curfew and deploy the navy.
Hospital knowledge confirmed no less than 147 individuals died in one of many worst outbreaks of violence lately.
Hasina, 76, gained a fourth consecutive time period in energy in January in a nationwide election boycotted by the principle opposition social gathering.
“When arson terrorism began, the protesting college students mentioned they weren’t concerned in it,” Hasina mentioned in a speech to enterprise leaders within the capital Dhaka, her first feedback since her authorities ordered a curfew on Friday evening.
“We had been pressured to impose a curfew to guard the lives and property of residents. I by no means wished that,” he mentioned. “We’ll raise the curfew when the state of affairs improves.”
Hasina blamed the principle opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Get together and the Jamaat-e-Islami social gathering and its scholar wing for the violence that started final week.
The events didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark, however critics together with the BNP have beforehand accused Hasina of authoritarianism, human rights violations and cracking down on free speech and dissent — allegations her authorities denies.
Streets appeared quiet in Dhaka on Monday, a day after the Supreme Courtroom dominated in favor of a authorities enchantment in opposition to a decrease courtroom order and ordered that 93% of presidency jobs ought to be open to candidates based mostly on advantage.
The ruling decreased quotas in state jobs beforehand reserved for teams together with households of freedom fighters, ladies and so-called deprived teams, chopping them from 56 p.c to 7 p.c.
Consultants have blamed the unrest on stagnant private-sector job development and excessive youth unemployment charges which have made authorities jobs, with their common pay rises and different perks, extra enticing.
’48 HOUR ULTIMATUM’
On Sunday evening, protesters gave the federal government 48 hours to fulfill a sequence of recent calls for, however most seemed to be obeying a Monday curfew in cities that had seen common demonstrations after a excessive courtroom in June reinstated outdated quotas.
1000’s of individuals had been injured in protests that turned violent final week when safety forces fired tear gasoline, rubber bullets and stun grenades to disperse demonstrators.
Tanks had been seen parked at a number of places in Dhaka on Monday, whereas armed safety patrols directed the few motorists who ventured out. There have been no reviews of violence within the nation, officers mentioned.
The protesters’ new calls for embrace a public apology from Hasina for the violence, restoration of web connections and reopening of campuses.
The Scholar Anti-Discrimination Motion additionally referred to as for the resignation of some ministers and college officers and the dismissal of law enforcement officials deployed within the areas the place the scholars had been killed.
“We’re giving an ultimatum to the federal government to fulfil our eight-point demand inside 48 hours,” Hasnat Abdullah, one of many leaders of the motion, informed reporters.
He didn’t say what would occur if the federal government didn’t heed the calls for. The federal government didn’t instantly remark.
Dhaka police mentioned they’d arrested 516 individuals for his or her involvement in “harmful assaults.” Police spokesman Faruq Hossain mentioned three law enforcement officials had been killed within the violence and greater than 1,000 had been injured.
“Normalcy will return in a day or two,” House Minister Asaduzzaman Khan informed reporters. The federal government issued a notification extending the vacation declared for the previous two days till Tuesday.
Protesters mentioned a few of their leaders had been detained, together with Nahid Islam, who informed media he was picked up by “20 to 30 individuals” who mentioned they had been police early Sunday morning and brought to a room the place he mentioned he was tortured till he misplaced consciousness.
“Once I regained consciousness I discovered myself mendacity on the road,” he mentioned. Dhaka police denied arresting him.
Bangladesh’s $416 billion economic system has been one of many world’s fastest-growing for years however has struggled following the Covid-19 pandemic.
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