Internet down in Bangladesh after a weekend of violence
... as protesters plan to march to capital
This is the second internet blackout in the country after the protests turned deadly in July.
Nearly 100 people were killed and hundreds more injured Sunday as renewed anti-government protests swept across Bangladesh, with protesters calling for the prime minister to resign and the prime minister accusing them of “sabotage” and cutting off mobile internet in a bid to quell the unrest.
Broadband internet and mobile data services were cut off across Bangladesh on Monday as anti-government protesters vowed to march to the capital to demand the prime minister’s resignation after a weekend of violence that left dozens of people dead as the military ordered an indefinite curfew.
Authorities first shut off mobile internet on Sunday in an attempt to quell the unrest, while broadband internet stopped working from late Monday morning. This is the second internet blackout in the country after the protests turned deadly in July.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is facing her biggest political challenge since winning a fourth term in an election boycotted by the main opposition parties in January.
The death toll was the highest for a single day from any protests in Bangladesh’s recent history, according to Reuters news agency.
Unrest
Demonstrators are demanding the resignation of the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, after protests last month that began with students calling for an end to a quota system for government jobs. Those demonstrations escalated into violence that left more than 200 dead.
On Sunday, the government announced a holiday from Monday to Wednesday. Courts were to be closed indefinitely, while mobile internet services were cut off, and Facebook and messaging apps, including WhatsApp, were inaccessible.
At least 11 000 people have been arrested in recent weeks. The unrest has also resulted in the closure of schools and universities across the country, and authorities at one point imposed a shoot-on-sight curfew.
Hasina offered to talk with student leaders on Saturday, but a coordinator refused and announced a demand for her resignation.
The protests have become a major challenge for Hasina, who has ruled the country for more than 15 years.
Broadband internet and mobile data services were cut off across Bangladesh on Monday as anti-government protesters vowed to march to the capital to demand the prime minister’s resignation after a weekend of violence that left dozens of people dead as the military ordered an indefinite curfew.
Authorities first shut off mobile internet on Sunday in an attempt to quell the unrest, while broadband internet stopped working from late Monday morning. This is the second internet blackout in the country after the protests turned deadly in July.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is facing her biggest political challenge since winning a fourth term in an election boycotted by the main opposition parties in January.
The death toll was the highest for a single day from any protests in Bangladesh’s recent history, according to Reuters news agency.
Unrest
Demonstrators are demanding the resignation of the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, after protests last month that began with students calling for an end to a quota system for government jobs. Those demonstrations escalated into violence that left more than 200 dead.
On Sunday, the government announced a holiday from Monday to Wednesday. Courts were to be closed indefinitely, while mobile internet services were cut off, and Facebook and messaging apps, including WhatsApp, were inaccessible.
At least 11 000 people have been arrested in recent weeks. The unrest has also resulted in the closure of schools and universities across the country, and authorities at one point imposed a shoot-on-sight curfew.
Hasina offered to talk with student leaders on Saturday, but a coordinator refused and announced a demand for her resignation.
The protests have become a major challenge for Hasina, who has ruled the country for more than 15 years.
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