DHAKA July 21. 2024 (Saba) - Bangladesh announced on Sunday an extension of the curfew to control violent student-led protests that have left at least 114 people dead.
The authorities are preparing for a Supreme Court hearing later today regarding government job quotas, which have sparked significant anger.
Soldiers are patrolling the streets of the capital, Dhaka, the epicenter of the protests that have escalated into clashes between protesters and security forces.
Internet and text messaging services have been suspended in Bangladesh since Thursday, while police have cracked down on demonstrators defying the ban on public gatherings.
Local media reported that the curfew, issued late on Friday, has been extended until 3 p.m. (0900 GMT) Sunday, even after the Supreme Court hearing. It will continue for an “indefinite period” after being lifted for two hours to allow people to meet their needs.
Universities and colleges have been closed since Wednesday.
The unrest broke out nationwide due to student anger over government job quotas that allocate 30 percent of jobs to the families of those who fought for independence from Pakistan.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government abolished the quota system in 2018, but the court reinstated it last month.
The Supreme Court suspended the decision after the government appealed, and it will consider the case today, Sunday, after agreeing to advance the scheduled hearing date to August 7.
The protests, the largest since Hasina's re-election to a fourth consecutive term this year, are also fueled by high unemployment rates among young people, who make up nearly 20 percent of the population.
H.H
resource : Saba
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