Amid soldiers patrolling the deserted streets of Bangladesh's capital Dhaka, the government ordered all offices and institutions to close for two days after 144 people were killed this week during student-led protests against government job quotas.
Explained further, Prime Minister Sheikh Haslina's government declared Sunday and Monday as public holidays following the situation in the country but it should be noted that only emergency services are allowed to operate.
Besides internet and text messaging services in Bangladesh have been suspended since Thursday, overseas phone calls have mostly failed to connect while Bangladesh-based media organizations' websites have not been updated and their social media accounts remain inactive.
The shutdown of the internet meant that many people could not top up their electricity meters, causing them to have no power and even the police firing tear gas, rubber bullets and throwing sound grenades.
According to hospitals across Bangladesh, the fighting has injured thousands and Dhaka Medical College Hospital received 27 bodies between 5pm and 7pm last Friday.
TV footage showed the army had set up roadblocks and barricades using sandbags across strategic locations in Dhaka while those leaving had to have their IDs checked by army personnel at checkpoints.
In the central Bangladeshi district of Narsingdi, protesters stormed a prison last Friday and freed more than 850 inmates and set fire to the facility.
The rising death toll is a shocking indictment of the absolute intolerance shown by the Bangladeshi authorities to protests and protests, commented Babu Ram Pant, deputy regional director for South Asia at Amnesty International.
