Students Of Protesters Work Quota Clash With Bangladesh Police, 4 People Died

UNSPLASH/ev ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - Thousands of students armed with sticks and stones clashed with armed police in Dhaka. The death toll from a bloody demonstration has now become 10 people.

This national-scale protest is the largest since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was re-elected for a fourth term, and was triggered by the high unemployment rate among youth, with nearly a fifth of its 170 million residents losing their jobs or education.

Four people were killed in clashes with police in Dhaka on Thursday, July 18, the Daily Star newspaper quoted Mizanur Rahman, a city hospital watchdog. Hundreds of other people were injured.

Law Minister Anisul Huq said the government was willing to talk to protesters, who wanted the state to stop setting aside 30 percent of government work for their families fighting the war on independence from Pakistan in 1971.

Hasina, daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who is now the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, has so far rejected the demands of the protesters.

"We are willing to sit (and talk to them). Whenever they want to sit down to discuss, that will happen," Huq said.

Earlier, police fired tear gas to disperse protesters near the Dhaka university campus and authorities cut off some mobile internet services in an effort to limit demonstrations.

Police also fired tear gas to disperse students throwing stones blocking the main highway in the southern port city of Badminton.

The United States Embassy in Dhaka said it was closed on Thursday and advised its citizens to avoid demonstrations and large gatherings. The Indian Embassy also issued a similar appeal.

Authorities have closed all state and private universities indefinitely starting Wednesday and sent riot police and border guard paramilitary forces to university campuses to maintain order.