Bangladesh Imposes Curfew, Deploys Military Amid Violent Protests
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Bangladesh has imposed a curfew and deployed military forces after days of violent protests, which have resulted in at least 105 deaths, according to local media reports.
Bangladesh has imposed a curfew and deployed military forces after police failed to control days of violent protests that have spread throughout the country.
The violent clashes between student demonstrators and police have killed at least 105 people, local media reported.
At least 52 people were killed in the capital Dhaka alone on Friday.
Police fire was the cause of more than half of the deaths reported so far this week, based on descriptions given to AFP by hospital staff.
UN human rights chief Volker Turk said the attacks on student protesters were "shocking and unacceptable."
The unrest poses a significant challenge to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government after 15 years in office.
Police earlier banned all public gatherings for the day in Dhaka to prevent more violence in the sprawling megacity of 20 million people.
Student protesters reportedly stormed a prison in the central Bangladeshi district of Narsingdi and freed its prisoners before setting the facility on fire.
Law enforcement in the capital previously announced that protestors had set ablaze, defaced, and conducted "destructive activities" at various police and government facilities.
Demonstrations against the 56% quota system in public jobs escalated in the South Asian nation this week, prompting the government to close educational institutions across Bangladesh.
As per the quota system, 30% of the 56% quotas in public jobs are allocated for the sons and grandsons of individuals who took part in Bangladesh's war of liberation against Pakistan in 1971.
According to reports, the Bangladeshi government has requested the military to provide security for the residence of Prime Minister Hasina.