New Delhi: An interim government has been formed in Bangladesh on Monday (August 5) amid escalating nationwide protests, Bangladesh army chief general Waker-Uz-Zaman said.
In an address, Waker-Uz-Zaman said that the army was going to meet Bangladesh president Mohammed Shahabuddin to discuss the further course of action.
The army chief general added that the people’s demand will be fulfilled and stability will be restored. He has asked the citizens of Bangladesh to cooperate adding that violence will “not achieve anything” and asked people to “stop this kind of agitation”.
Earlier on Monday, rumours swirled that Sheikh Hasina has resigned, local TV channels showed people clapping and singing on the streets.
Several reports suggest that Sheikh Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana have left Bangladesh on Monday “for a safer place”. The protesters entered the Bangladesh prime minister’s official residence, Ganabhaban, without any restrictions, as per reports.
At least 93 people were killed and more than a thousand were injured as a fresh wave of violence erupted in Bangladesh on Sunday, which was the first day of the student-led non-cooperation movement, aimed to mount pressure on Sheikh Hasina to step dow.
Ruling party activists and the police clashed with anti-government protesters, in around 20 districts of the country, reported The Daily Star.
In the country’s northern district of Sirajganj, an angry mob attacked a police station and 13 police personnel were beaten to death. In another incident, at least five people died in clashes in Raiganj upazila of Sirajganj. With 18 deaths, Sirajganj has the highest death toll among all other districts from the violence on August 4.
As the violence escalated, mobs also torched and vandalised the homes of lawmakers from the ruling party, Awami League offices, police stations, vehicles of police personnel, prison vans and hospital buses.
Also read: Bangladesh Protest Transcends Quota Reform, Now Has One Clear Demand: ‘The Government Has to Go’
Following the unabated violence, the Sheikh Hasina government tightened nationwide curfew and blocked 4G mobile internet.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs advised Indian citizens in Bangladesh to exercise extreme caution, restrict their movements and remain in contact with the High Commission of India in Dhaka with their emergency phone numbers.
The ongoing protests started in response to the high court’s verdict declaring a circular issued in 2018 cancelling the 30% quota for freedom fighters’ descendants in government jobs illegal. The quota system reserved 30% of government posts for children and grandchildren of freedom fighters, 10% for women and 10% for residents of specific districts. There are also quotas for ethnic minorities and the disabled people but the students are not opposing those.
On July 21, the Bangladesh Supreme Court has ordered 93% of the government jobs in the country to be allocated on a merit-based system. Under the revised system, 5% of civil service positions will still be reserved for children of war veterans who fought for Bangladesh’s independence in 1971. An additional 2% will be allocated for other designated categories.
