At least 27 people were killed and numerous others injured in violent clashes in Bangladesh on Sunday as police used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse tens of thousands of protesters demanding Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation.
The interior ministry imposed an indefinite nationwide curfew starting at 6 p.m. (1200 GMT) on Sunday, the first time such a measure has been enacted during the ongoing protests, which began in July.
Prime Minister Hasina said, “Those who are protesting on the streets right now are not students, but terrorists who are out to destabilize the nation. I appeal to our countrymen to suppress these terrorists with a strong hand.”
In the central district of Munsiganj, two construction workers were killed and 30 others injured during clashes involving protesters, police, and ruling party activists.
Abu Hena Mohammad Jamal, the district hospital’s superintendent, reported, “They were brought dead to the hospital with bullet wounds.”
Despite police claims of not using live ammunition, improvised explosives detonated, turning the area into a battlefield.
In Pabna, northeastern Bangladesh, at least three people were killed and 50 injured in a clash between protesters and Awami League activists. Violence also claimed two lives in Bogura and 20 more across nine other districts, according to hospital officials.
Health Minister Samanta Lal Sen condemned an attack on a hospital, saying, “An attack on a hospital is unacceptable. Everyone should refrain from this.”
The government has shut down high-speed internet services for the second time amid recent protests, with mobile operators reporting outages of Facebook and WhatsApp, even via broadband connections.
