Bangladesh student protests: Police impose shoot-on-sight-order, soldiers patrol cities, death toll at 123

Soldiers of the Bangladeshi military were patrolling the country's cities on Saturday (July 20) after the government imposed a nationwide curfew to keep order following days of deadly student protests.The curfew went into effect at midnight and the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's office asked the military to deploy troops after police again failed to subdue widespread mayhem.

"The army has been deployed nationwide to control the law and order situation," an armed forces spokesperson told the news agency AFP.

As per reports, police had also imposed a 'shoot-on-sight-order',

Students in Bangladesh are protesting against the quota systemthat reserves more than half of civil service posts for specific groups, including children of veterans from the 1971 liberation war.

The clashes betweenstudent demonstrators and police have killed at least 123 people.

>The curfew would remainin effect until at least 10:00 am (local time) on Sunday, state media reported.On Saturday, streets of the capital Dhaka were almost deserted at daybreak, with troops on foot and in armoured personnel carriers patrolling the city.

> Thousands returned to the streets later in the day in the residential neighbourhood of Rampura, with police firing live rounds at the crowd and wounding at least one person, AFP reported.

> A police spokesperson told the news agencythat 150 police officers were hospitalised. Another 150 were given first aid treatment. The spokesperson added that two officers were beaten to death.

> On Friday, three people were killed as the policecracked down on unrelenting student-led protests against government job quotas despite a ban on public gatherings.

> A report by the news agency Reuters on Saturday said that police fired tear gas to scatter protesters in some areas.

>The nationwide unrest - the biggest since PM Hasina was re-elected this year - has also been fuelled by high unemployment among young people, who make up nearly a fifth of a population of 170 million.

> Some analysts say the violence is now also being driven by wider economic woes, such as high inflation and shrinking reserves of foreign exchange.

> Around 1,500 people have been injured so far.

> Telecommunications in the country were disruptedand television news channels went offair.Authorities had cut some mobile telephone servicesto try to quell the unrest.

> Citing local media, Reutersreported train services had been suspended nationwide as protesters blocked roads and threw bricks at security officials.

Also watch |Why are Bangladeshi students protesting against job quotas?

> The United States embassy in Dhaka issued a security alert sayingthat protests were spreading, with violent clashes being reported across the capital, and called thesituation"extremely volatile".

> The agitation has forced hundreds of Indian students in Bangladesh to return home.

> In a statement, the Indian foreign ministry said, "Thus far, 778 Indian students have returned to India through various land ports. In addition, around 200 students have returned home by regular flight services through Dhaka and Chittagong airports."

>"The High Commission of India in Dhaka and our Assistant High Commissions are in regular touch with more than 4000 students remaining in various universities in Bangladesh and are providing necessary assistance. Students from Nepal and Bhutan have also been assisted with their crossing into India on request," the statement added.

(With inputs from agencies)