DHAKA: The week-long students agitation against reckless driving in Bangladesh took a violent turn on Sunday after the government's decision to crack down on the protesters. Social media was filled with images and videos of men, armed with rods and machetes, attacking students and journalists who were trying to cover the protests.
According to local news reports, as many as 100 students and 20-25 journalists have been injured in attacks since yesterday.
Several journalists, including a photographer from Associated Press, was assaulted by a group of armed men belonging to Chhatra League, according to a report published in Dhaka Tribune.
A twitter post shared photographs of a local photojournalist being attacked by a man armed with rods. The image and video of the attack was widely circulated on various social media channels.
The protest began after two teenage students -a boy and a girl - were killed when two buses racing to collect passengers, a common occurrence in the city, hit them and wounded several others. One of the bus drivers fled the scene, although both were later arrested.
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Fakir
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He was just a freelance journalist . #bangladeshstudentprotests #WeWantJusticeInBangladesh
6:50 PM - Aug 5, 2018
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Crack down on internet communication
Social media was filled with comments from Bangladeshis unable to access the internet via their phones, although wireless and wired networks appear to be unhindered.
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@urmycocktail
I am from Bangladesh. And in Bangladesh a protest had been going since July 30 by students of school and colleges. But today due to the order from our PM goons have invaded and killed many students and beating the shit out of us on roads.#bangladeshstudentprotests @CNN @BBC
4:31 PM - Aug 4, 2018
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The country's biggest-circulation newspaper Prothom Alo said 3G and 4G internet services have been shut down for 24 hours since late Saturday, shortly after the violence broke out.
The Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission said it would comment later Sunday.
A senior telecom official, who asked for anonymity, said: "The BTRC has slowed down the internet at the order of the government."
The move may be an attempt to limit the ability of students to mobilise or express growing online anger at how the government has handled the protests, hours after police and unidentified men wielding sticks and stones clashed with students.
Bangladesh's transport sector is widely seen as corrupt, unregulated and dangerous. As news of the teenagers' deaths spread rapidly on social media they became a catalyst for an outpouring of anger against the government.
Around 100 students injured in violent clashes on Saturday
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For the last few days, students in their tens of thousands have brought parts of the capital to a standstill since two teenagers were killed.
On Saturday, the protests took a violent turn in Dhaka's Jigatala neighbourhood, with more than 100 people getting injured as police fired rubber bullets at demonstrators.
A car carrying US ambassador Marcia Bernicat was also attacked by "armed men" but she escaped unscathed, the embassy said.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urges students to go back
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Hasina warned that a "third party" could sabotage the protests and put the safety of demonstrators at risk.
"That's why I request all guardians and parents to keep their children at home. Whatever they have done is enough," the prime minister said from her office.
Hasina's warning came as protesters marched towards the scene of Saturday's clashes chanting "We want justice!"
Police denied they fired rubber bullets or tear gas at the protesters Saturday. However hospital staff said dozens of people had been injured, some seriously, and injuries were consistent with rubber bullets.
The Awami League has denied that its officials beat up students.
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