Television Channels and Telecommunications Disrupted Amid Protests
Television news channels in Bangladesh went off the air, and telecommunications were widely disrupted on Friday due to violent student protests against government job quotas. Nearly two dozen people have been killed this week in the unrest.
Death Toll Rises
There was no immediate comment from the government. However, French news agency AFP reported that the death toll from Thursday’s violence had risen to 32. Reuters had previously reported 13 deaths, adding to the six earlier in the week but could not immediately verify the higher number.
Continued Violence and Police Response
Fresh violence erupted in some parts of the country on Friday, with police using tear gas to disperse protesters, according to a Reuters photographer. India’s Economic Times reported that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government had called in the army late on Thursday to help maintain order, though Reuters could not independently verify this.
Underlying Causes of the Protests
While the immediate cause of the protests is student anger over the controversial quota system, analysts suggest that tough economic conditions, including high inflation, rising unemployment, and depleting foreign reserves, are exacerbating the situation. The protests have also highlighted political fault lines dating back to Bangladesh’s independence in 1971, involving Hasina’s Awami League.
Communication Shutdowns
To quell the unrest, authorities had cut some mobile services on Thursday, with the disruption spreading across the country by Friday morning. Telephone calls from overseas were mostly not connecting, and internet-based calls were failing. Websites of several Bangladesh-based newspapers were not updating, and their social media handles were inactive.
Widespread Communication Issues
On Friday morning, only some voice calls were working in the country, with no mobile data or broadband service available, according to a Reuters photographer in Dhaka. Even mobile-to-mobile text messages were not going through. News television channels and the state broadcaster BTV were off the air, with some channels citing technical reasons for the interruption.
Hacked Websites
The official websites of the Bangladesh Central Bank, the prime minister’s office, and the police appeared to have been hacked by a group calling itself “THE R3SISTANC3”. The hackers left messages condemning the government’s actions and calling for justice.
Impact on Daily Life
Streets in the capital, Dhaka, were deserted on Friday, a weekly holiday in the country. There was little traffic, few rickshaw pullers, and thin crowds near markets. A protest rally had been called at the main mosque later in the day.
Government Response and Protester Demands
The nationwide agitation, the largest since Hasina’s re-election earlier this year, has been fueled by high youth unemployment. Protesters demand the state stop reserving 30% of government jobs for families of those who fought in the 1971 war of independence. The government had scrapped the quota system in 2018, but a high court reinstated it last month. The Supreme Court has since suspended this order, pending a hearing on August 7.
Ongoing Negotiations and Violence
The government expressed willingness to hold talks with protesters, but demonstrators refused, stating, “Discussions and opening fire do not go hand in hand”. Hundreds of people have been injured this week as police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the protesters, who torched vehicles, police posts, and other establishments.
Economic Context
Bangladesh is facing economic challenges partly due to the Russia-Ukraine war and secured a $4.7 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in January 2023. The IMF concluded a second review of Bangladesh’s bailout program in June, providing immediate access to about $928 million in loans for economic support and about $220 million to combat climate change.