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Dozens have been killed and hundreds have been injured in violent protests that have gripped Bangladesh for days read more
 "Bangladesh protesters storm jail & free hundreds of prisoners as violence continues")
Students clash over a quota system at Jahangir Nagar University at Savar outside Dhaka, Bangladesh on 15 Julu. Police fired tear gas and charged demonstrators with batons overnight during violent clashes between a pro-government student body and student protesters. AP
Bangladeshi protesters have stormed a jail near the capital Dhaka and have freed hundreds of prisoners amid ongoing violent movement against Sheikh Hasina’s rule.
Student protesters stormed a prison in Bangladesh’s Narsingdi district, which is around 40 kilometres away from Dhaka. They freed hundreds of prisoners lodged there, said a police officer to AFP.
In addition to storming the jail and freeing the prisoners, the protesters also set the facility on fire, said the officer.
“I don’t know the number of inmates, but it would be in the hundreds,” said the officer on the condition of anonymity.
Dozens killed & hundreds injured in protests against Hasina’s govt
At least 64 people have been killed in the violent protests that has gripped Bangladesh this week, according to the AFP, which further reported that at least 19 were killed in Dhaka alone on Friday.
Hundreds of people have been injured, including several dozen of police personnel.
The violent protests are rooted in opposition to Bangladesh’s quota system that reserves more than 50 per cent seats in the civil services to specific groups, such as the veterans of the Bangladesh’s liberation war against Pakistan.
Protest marches have taken place on a nearly-daily basis this month which seek an end to the system. Those opposed to the system argue that pro-Hasina groups receive undue benefits from it. Hasina’s father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was the leader of the liberation movement and was Bangladesh’s first president.
Hasina is also facing protests over rising resentment against her 15-year reign on Bangladesh in which critics have claimed significant democratic decline. In the general elections held earlier this year, Hasina’s Bangladesh Awami League (BAL) practically won unopposed as the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the main opposition party, had boycotted the elections.
Internet shutdown & ban on rallies fail to contain violence
The Bangladeshi authorities have resorted to internet shutdowns and bans on rallies to contain the violence.
In Dhaka, police chief Habibur Rahman told AFP that all rallies, processions, and public gatherings have been banned in the capital.
The order, however, did not stop protests. Protesters were also reported to be seeking Hasina’s resignation.
The police in Dhaka said protesters on Thursday torched, vandalised, and carried out “destructive activities” on police and government offices, as per AFP.
Among the locations attacked include the headquarters of state broadcasters, Bangladesh Television, which remains offline after hundreds of protesters stormed it and set the building on fire.
The internet freedom watchdog Netblocks has reported that Bangladesh was witnessing a national-scale internet shutdown on Friday which was implemented the day before.
⚠️ Update: A day has passed since #Bangladesh imposed a national internet shutdown amid student protests and a deadly crackdown.
Metrics show connectivity flatlining at 10% of ordinary levels, raising concerns over public safety as little news flows in or out of the country. pic.twitter.com/ONarFMNEb4
Outside of Dhaka, nearly half of all the districts in the country have reported clashes in recent days, according to reports in Bangladeshi media. In all, reports have said that more than 700 people have been injured, which also include more than 100 police personnel and around 30 journalists.
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