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According to police spokesman Faruk Hossain, 150 officers were hospitalized while another 150 received first aid. Anti-government demonstrations in Bangladesh are happening due to controversial job quota reforms and disparaging comments by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina read more
 "300 police injured in clashes with 'hundreds of thousands' of protesters")
Anti-quota supporters clash with police and Awami League supporters at the Rampura area in Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 18, 2024. Reuters
During clashes on Friday in various locations around the capital Dhaka, at least 300 Bangladeshi police officers were injured, according to a police spokesman who spoke with AFP on Saturday.
“At least 150 police officers were admitted to the hospital, and another 150 were given first aid treatment,” said Dhaka Metropolitan Police spokesman Faruk Hossain. He added that the police force had engaged with “hundreds of thousands” of protesters, and that two officers had been beaten to death.
This week’s violence has resulted in the deaths of at least 115 people so far, according to an AFP tally of victims reported by police and hospitals.
Curfew and military deployment
A government-imposed curfew came into effect at midnight, and the premier’s office requested the military to deploy troops after the police were unable to control the widespread unrest.
“The army has been deployed nationwide to maintain law and order,” said armed forces spokesman Shahdat Hossain to AFP. The curfew is expected to remain in effect until at least 10:00 am (0400 GMT) on Sunday, as reported by private broadcaster Channel 24.
Frustration against Sheikh Hasina’s administration
There have been near-daily marches this month calling for an end to a quota system that reserves more than half of civil service posts for specific groups, including children of veterans from the country’s 1971 liberation war against Pakistan.
Critics argue that the scheme benefits children of pro-government groups that support Hasina, 76, who has been in power since 2009 and won her fourth consecutive election in January after a vote without genuine opposition.
Hasina’s government is accused by rights groups of misusing state institutions to secure its hold on power and suppress dissent, including through the extrajudicial killing of opposition activists.
Since the first deaths on Tuesday, protesters have begun demanding that Hasina tender in her resignation as the Prime Minister of the country.
With inputs from AFP
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