Photo: Source BBC
Bangladesh has declared a state of high security alert across the nation as violent clashes between students and police escalate.
The capital city Dhaka is experiencing a near-complete blackout of internet services, with disruptions also affecting phone communications.
Protestors numbering several thousand stormed the state broadcaster BTV on Thursday evening, causing extensive damage including vandalizing furniture, smashing windows and lights, and setting parts of the building on fire.
The Information Minister confirmed that broadcasts were halted, and most staff evacuated the premises.
Earlier, a distress call from BTV’s official Facebook page reported that numerous individuals were trapped inside, prompting an appeal for assistance from the fire department to contain the blaze.
A senior journalist from BTV, speaking anonymously, recounted the severity of the situation: “We had no choice but to evacuate. Some of our colleagues were stranded inside; their fate is uncertain.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina made an appeal for calm during a broadcast on Wednesday night, following days of violent unrest resulting in at least 19 reported deaths and numerous injuries. The demonstrations, led by students, demand reforms to a recruitment system that reserves a significant portion of public sector jobs for relatives of veterans from the 1971 war of independence against Pakistan. The protestors argue that this policy is discriminatory and advocate for merit-based hiring practices.
In response to the ongoing protests, the government has taken measures to suppress unrest, including the temporary shutdown of mobile internet services across the country on Thursday.
