Bangladesh on Friday imposed a curfew and deployed military to keep order, the Prime Minister’s office informed. This comes as the total death toll from ongoing Bangladesh student protests has risen to 105, AFP reported citing hospitals.
In deadly clashes, the protesting students in the central Bangladeshi district of Narsingdi stormed a jail on Friday and freed hundreds of inmates before setting it on fire, according to the police. “The inmates fled the jail and the protesters set the jail on fire,” the police officer said. “I don’t know the number of inmates, but it would be in the hundreds,” he also said, news agency AFP reported.
A senior government official in Narsingdi district, Moushumi Sarker, has confirmed the jailbreak but did not give any further details.
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A man named Ripon, a resident of Narsingdi who lives close to the jail, reported that he witnessed at least 20 men leaving the building with their possessions packed into handbags.
The situation deteriorated this week resulting in the authorities stopping bus and train services and shutting down schools and universities across the country.
India Calls Bangladesh Protest As ‘Internal Matter’
India referred to the violent protests in Bangladesh as an “internal” issue for Dhaka on Friday but emphasised that it is closely monitoring the situation due to the presence of 15,000 Indians in the country.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “As you are aware, there are ongoing protests in Bangladesh. We see this as an internal matter of the country.”
He also added that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is himself following the matter closely in the context of safeguarding the Indians. “We have issued an advisory for Indian nationals, including our students, resident in Bangladesh for their safety and assistance if required,” Jaiswal said, PTI reported.
The Indian High Commission has activated helpline numbers available 24×7, he noted. “Our High Commission will be providing regular updates. I will also be posting regular updates. I would urge family members to follow us for the latest developments,” he also said.
“We remain committed to providing all possible assistance to our nationals in Bangladesh,” Jaiswal added. He reiterated that there are around 15,000 Indian nationals in Bangladesh, including approximately 8,500 students.
