Bangladesh shut down internet as 90 killed in protests

By Alagbe Shenayon On Aug 5, 2024

Bangladesh has implemented a second internet blackout in three weeks following a new wave of anti-government protests that have resulted in at least 90 deaths and hundreds of injuries.

The unrest, centered in Dhaka and other areas, has intensified as student leaders have launched a campaign of civil disobedience demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Dhaka has been barricaded, with army units and police deployed throughout the city. The government has declared a three-day holiday, leading to the closure of businesses and courts.

The student protests, which began with calls to end quotas in civil service jobs, have evolved into a broader anti-government movement. The death toll has now surpassed 280, with most casualties being protesters shot by security forces.

On Sunday, thirteen police officers were killed when thousands of protesters attacked a police station in Sirajganj. Both police and some ruling party supporters were reported to have fired live ammunition at protesters, in addition to using tear gas and rubber bullets.

The government ordered mobile operators to shut down 4G services on Monday, leading to what NetBlocks, a watchdog on internet freedom, described as a near-total national internet shutdown. This follows previous social media and mobile internet restrictions.

Internet blackouts are a common tactic for authoritarian regimes to control information and suppress dissent. In 2023, there were 283 government-imposed internet outages across 39 countries, up from 202 shutdowns in 2018, according to Access Now, a digital censorship monitoring organization.

Previously, on July 18, the Bangladeshi government had also cut mobile internet services to curb protests. Broadband was restored a week later, with mobile services returning shortly thereafter.

Despite the internet blackout and an indefinite nationwide curfew imposed on Sunday, protests continue unabated across Bangladesh. On Monday, thousands marched in Uttara, a Dhaka suburb, chanting and calling for Hasina’s resignation, while being monitored by army personnel and police stationed throughout the capital.

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Amid calls for her resignation, Ms Hasina sounded defiant. Speaking after a meeting with security chiefs on Monday, she said the protesters were “not students but terrorists who are out to destabilise the nation”.

On Sunday, Law and Justice Minister Anisul Huq told the BBC’s Newshour programme that authorities were showing “restraint”.

“If we had not shown restraint, there would have been a bloodbath. I guess our patience has limits,” he added.

Deaths and injuries have been reported across the country, including the northern districts of Bogra, Pabna and Rangpur.

Thousands of people gathered in a main square in Dhaka and there have been violent incidents in other parts of the city.

“The whole city has turned into a battleground,” a policeman, who asked not to be named, told the AFP news agency. He said a crowd of several thousand protesters had set fire to cars and motorcycles outside a hospital.

Asif Mahmud, a leading figure in the nationwide civil disobedience campaign, called on protesters to march on Dhaka on Monday.

“The time has come for the final protest,” he said.

Students Against Discrimination, the group spearheading the anti-government protests, has urged people to stop paying taxes and utility bills.

They have also called for a shutdown of factories and public transport.

In a major crackdown over the past two weeks, security forces have reportedly detained around 10,000 individuals, including opposition supporters and students.

Support for the student movement has emerged from some former military personnel, including ex-army chief General Karim Bhuiyan, who urged the current government to withdraw armed forces from the streets. Bhuiyan and others have condemned the “egregious killings, torture, disappearances, and mass arrests” taking place.

The coming days are considered critical for both sides.

The protests represent a significant challenge to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who won a fourth consecutive term in January’s elections, which were boycotted by the main opposition.

The protests began last month over a quota system that reserved one-third of civil service jobs for relatives of veterans from Bangladesh’s 1971 independence war with Pakistan. While the government has since scaled back most of the quota following a Supreme Court ruling, students continue to protest, seeking justice for those killed and injured, and now demanding Hasina’s resignation.

Hasina’s supporters have rejected calls for her resignation, though earlier she offered unconditional dialogue with the student leaders.

“I want to sit with the agitating students of the movement and listen to them. I want no conflict,” she said.

But the student protesters have rejected her offer.

Ms Hasina called in the military last month to restore order after several police stations and state buildings were set on fire during the protests.

The Bangladeshi army chief, Gen Waker-Uz-Zaman, held a meeting with junior officers in Dhaka to assess the security situation.

“The Bangladesh army has always stood by the people and will continue to do so for the interest of people and in any need of the state,” Gen Zaman said, according to a release by the Inter Services Public Relation Directorate.

Bangladeshi media say most of those killed in last month’s protests were shot dead by police. Thousands were injured.

The government has argued that police opened fire only in self-defence and to protect state properties.