Prime minister Sheikh Hasina defended her decision to impose a curfew with a shoot-on-sight order on Tuesday, citing the need to protect people's lives and property after violent altercations between police and demonstrators in Bangladesh.
 
Hasina made her remarks the day after the supreme court of bangladesh overturned the majority of government employment quotas, satisfying a major protestor demand. One of the bloodiest violent sprees the nation has seen in years was ignited by the rallies.

According to the state-run BSS news agency, Hasina, who also serves as the president of the ruling Awami League, also urged the leaders and members of her party and its affiliate organisations, the wealthy segment of society, and well-wishers to reach out and lend support to the nation's lower-class, impoverished, and working-class citizens.
 
Violent confrontations broke out in bangladesh between police and demonstrators, who were primarily students, who wanted the removal of a contentious quota system that allocated 30% of government employment to the kin of veterans who had participated in the country's 1971 liberation struggle.
 
The veterans' quota was cut by the supreme court on monday to only 5%. Therefore, 93% of civil service positions will be awarded on the basis of merit, with the remaining 2% going to those with physical disabilities, transgender identity, and members of ethnic minorities.
 
Local publications claim that around 100 people have died as a result of the violence. On the other hand, official death statistics are unavailable.
 
After the nationwide rioting, mobile and internet services were suspended.
 
Hasina said in a statement that the implementation of the "complete shutdown" policy and recent events centred on the quota movement had crippled the lives and livelihoods of the ordinary people throughout the whole nation.
 
In addition, she said, the disaster management building, the motorway, the metro rail, BTV Bhaban, Setu Bhaban, other public and private buildings and homes were all deliberately set on fire and vandalised by the opposition bangladesh Nationalist Party-Jamaat-Shibir.
 
Hasina has attributed the violence on the student groups of both the Jamaat-e-Islami and the main opposition bangladesh Nationalist Party.
 
She said that "they set fire to numerous government-owned and private vehicles, including buses and trucks," destroying them.
 
According to Hasina, in order to "ensure the security of the lives and properties of the people and return the life and living to normalcy," the government briefly instituted a curfew.
 
She said, "This has hindered the regular income-generating activities of lower income and working people, especially daily wage earners like rickshaw and van pullers, hawkers, vendors, day labourers, and transport workers, putting them in unimaginable suffering."
 
As they did during the Covid-19 epidemic, she asked the leaders and members of her party, as well as its affiliated entities, from the centre to the grassroots, to support the impacted people at this time of need.
 
Concurrently, President Mohammed Shahabuddin was visited by army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman at Bangabhaban, who briefed him on the current state of affairs.
 
According to President's press Secretary Md. Joynal Abedin, "the President was informed during the meeting of the country's prevailing situation and their overall activities by the army Chief."
 
According to the president, the armed forces have been crucial in defending the nation's independence and sovereignty. He expressed his gratitude to the administration for acting promptly to restore order around the nation by deploying the army. He hoped that very soon, the country's general circumstances would return to normal and regular operations would resume.
 
The army head reported at the conference that 27,000 soldiers were stationed in 57 regions, which included the nation's capital.
 
According to him, the bangladesh Army's personnel are working with the government to protect people's lives and property while upholding the nation's laws and regulations.
 
 
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G GOWTHAM

24/07/2024 05:15 AM