10 killed as law enforcers and BCL clash with quota protesters across Bangladesh

At least 10 people were killed and several hundred others injured as members of law enforcement agencies and ruling Awami League’s student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League clashed with protesting students demanding quota reform in government jobs at places in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country on Thursday.

Of them, four were killed in the capital’s Uttara, one each in Badda, Mohammadpur and Jatrabari in Dhaka, one in Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka, and one each in Narsingdi and Madaripur, reports received from the areas said.

The reports said that the clashes occurred when the law enforcement agencies and BCL tried to resist the quota protesters who had been enforcing a ‘complete shutdown’ across Bangladesh to press home their one-point demand for quota reform in government jobs.

With the latest deaths, a total of 16 people were killed in clashes during quota protest on Tuesday and Thursday.

At Uttara, four bodies were taken to Kuwait-Bangladesh Friendship Hospital after the police and quota protesters locked in a clash in the area.

The hospital’s assistant director Mahfuza Ara said that all the four were brought dead to the hospital and none could be identified immediately.

She said that they, considering their age, assumed that three of the deceased were students and the other one was of other profession.

Mahfuza said that over 150 injured ones were given treatment at the hospital and four critically injured ones were sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for better treatment.

At Mohammadpur, a student of Dhaka Residential Model College was killed during a clash between law enforcers and quota protesters on the day.

The college governing body member Md Nurunnabi said that injured Md Farhanul Islam Bhuiyan, 18, a student of XI of the college, was taken to City Medical in Dhanmondi where doctors declared him dead.

A microbus driver was declared dead after he was taken to Farazy Hospital at Banashree in Dhaka after he received injuries during a clash between law enforcers and quota protesters in Badda area of the capital.

Farazy Hospital deputy general manager Rubel Hossain said that the deceased, Dulal Matbor, was taken to the hospital in critical condition at about 12:30pm where doctors declared him dead.

He said that the victim had been driving a Hiace car across Badda area during the confrontation.

A round mark of wounds was found near the chest on the body of the deceased, he said and added that they were not sure whether it was a bullet wound.

He said that over 100 people, injured in the clashes at Badda and Rampura were brought to his hospital until 4:00pm.

In Jatrabari, a young man was killed during a clash between quota reform activists and the police early Thursday.

Dhaka Medical College Hospital police outpost in-charge Bacchu Mia confirmed the news.

He said that the victim was brought dead to the hospital.

In Savar, a student from the Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) was killed during clashes between quota reform seekers and police, along with members of the Chhatra League.

Enam Medical College and Hospital senior duty officer Yusuf Ali confirmed the death.

‘We have received the deceased individual. His name is Yamin, a student of MIST. He had bullet wounds on his body. We have also admitted five others who were injured,’ Yusuf said.

In Madaripur, at least one student was killed on Thursday after jumping into a lake as students demanding quota reform in government jobs were chased by the police and Chhatra League activists during the students’ protest programme.

The deceased is Dipta Dey, 21, a second year student of Madaripur Government College.

Fire Service and Civil Defence Madaripur warehouse inspector, Sheikh Ahaduzzaman, told New Age, ‘The divers have recovered the body of one of the two students who drowned in the local Shakuni lake.’

Ahaduzzaman said that the student’s body was taken away from the fire service personnel by the agitating students.

New Age Correspondent in Narsingdi, quoting officials at the district hospital and witnesses, reported that a student of Narsingdi Nachima Kadir Mollah High School and Homes, Tahmid, was killed in police firing on the quota protesters at Narsingdi Jail Khana intersection Thursday afternoon.

Narsingdi sadar police officer-in-charge Tanvir Ahmed, however, refused to talk to New Age over the incident.

New Age