On 19th July, violent student agitation against government job quotas forced television news networks in Bangladesh off the air and severely hampered telecommunications. The country has been rocked by huge protests as clashes between students, pro-government supporters and armed police intensified over reservations for the children of freedom fighters. The death toll has already reached 39 and more than 2,500 individuals have been injured as 18th July turned out to be the deadliest day in the conflict. Bangladesh has suspended internet services to try to quell the unrest.
Police and protesters armed with sticks and rocks clashed across the country, including in the capital, Dhaka, as the students tried to shut down transportation across Bangladesh. As demonstrators set fire to cars, police stations and other enterprises, authorities used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd, resulting in hundreds of injuries. On the evening of 18th July, the Sheikh Hasina administration summoned the Army as protestors supported by pro-Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami battled with police and paramilitary forces.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reportedly has to look towards India for political backing. India maintains continuous communication with Bangladesh’s security apparatus and key decision-makers to analyze the situation, which is rapidly escalating into a serious crisis. Experts suggested that India might attempt to overhaul the governance structure while assisting Bangladesh’s government which is also probing the role of Pakistan’s ISI in igniting the violence via the banned Jamaat-e-Islami.
Protesters are being led by leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) with foreign support. Jamaat, which is currently an illegal outfit, derives its strength from its student branch, which has participated in protests and acts of street violence for many years. In 1971, Jamaat officials were charged with war crimes and have since mingled with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and other terror organizations.
International phone calls and internet traffic were severely disrupted, while multiple Bangladeshi newspapers’ websites remained un-updated and social media accounts were offline. A few phone calls were successful but mobile data wasn’t available and messages were unable to be sent. While entertainment stations continued as usual, news television channels and state broadcaster BTV were taken off the air. A message citing technical difficulties and promising a quick return to programming was shown on several news programs. Schools and universities are also closed while authorities have banned rallies in the capital Dhaka.
A gang identifying itself as “THE R3SISTANC3” appeared to have hacked the prime minister’s office, the central bank and the police official websites. The same statements were splattered across the websites, “Operation HuntDown, Stop Killing Students,” with the addition of red text that declared, “It’s not a protest anymore, it’s a war now.” The page also had a message that read, “The government has shut down the internet to silence us and hide their actions.”
Meanwhile, 202 Indian nationals, mostly students stuck in Bangladesh have entered India at the Dawki integrated checkpoint in Meghalaya. “Until today 18th July evening at 6:45 pm, 202 Indians stranded due to violence have crossed from Dawki (81.5 km from the capital Shillong). All possible measures have been taken for the safety of the students. The situation is under control but the government is maintaining a watch,” informed an official.
According to the official, 198 of the 202 are students and 67 are from Meghalaya. “Other students who crossed over include students from Nepal (101) and Bhutan (seven), the remaining 23 are from other states of the country and four are tourists.” According to the official, the state administration was in communication with the Land Port Authority and the Bangladesh High Commission to enable the safe repatriation of Indian nationals. There is now a helpline available at 1800 345 3644. To aid in the evacuation and rescue of individuals from Meghalaya, additional police superintendent Hiwot Rymbai (91 96157 16153) and land port executive Thomas (91 84150 60802) have been designated as nodal officers.
The Indian High Commission in Dhaka recently released a critical alert advising Indian nationals and students studying in Bangladesh to minimize their travel and stay indoors as much as possible in light of the growing instability in the nation. The demonstrations stem from grievances over a government policy that reserves 30 per cent of public sector jobs for the families of individuals who fought in the 1971 War of Independence from Pakistan. Protesters claim that the new order is discriminatory and favours supporters of the ruling Awami League headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father and first president of Bangladesh.
