Thousands protest in Bangladesh, demanding PM Hasina’s resignation

DHAKA – At least 20 people were injured in clashes and police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse crowds as thousands protested in the Bangladeshi capital and other parts of the country on Aug 2, calling on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign.

The protesters were demanding justice for the families of the 150 people killed in the violence during protests in July over a job quota system.

Scores of young people marched in Dhaka with chants of “we want justice” and waved anti-government banners. Elsewhere in the country, buildings – including a district office of the ruling Awami League party – were set ablaze, a police booth was set on fire, and armoured vehicles were vandalised during demonstrations.

Police said they fired rubber bullets and tear gas as crowds attacked them in the north-eastern town of Habiganj, and lobbed stun grenades to scatter protesters in the nearby city of Sylhet.

A witness in Sylhet said about 20 people were injured.

“They set fire to the local Awami League office and several other government offices and torched motorcycles,” said Mr Khalilur Rahman, a police official in Habiganj, adding that police had fired rubber bullets and tear gas to control the situation.

The current unrest is the biggest test facing Ms Hasina since deadly protests when she won a fourth straight term in January elections that were boycotted by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

Student groups led demonstrations in July

against quotas for government jobs

, including a 30 per cent reservation for families of veterans of the 1971 war of independence from Pakistan.

Those demonstrations spiralled into violence

that killed at least 150 people, injured thousands and led to about 10,000 arrests. The protests paused after the Supreme Court scrapped most of the quotas.

Students have returned to the streets in sporadic protests this week, demanding justice for families of those who were killed.

Human rights groups and critics of Ms Hasina have accused her government of using excessive force to stamp out the movement, a charge both she and her ministers deny.

“People make mistakes,” said Mr Syed Sadman, a student at a protest in Dhaka. “If she (Ms Hasina) would have apologised, everything would be back to normal. If she cannot control it, things will keep heating up.” REUTERS