Bangladesh students intensify protests, call for Hasina's resignation

In Bangladesh, students protest have escalated as demonstrators shift from rallying against government job quotas to calling for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation. The movement now includes a call for a nationwide civil disobedience campaign until the government steps down. The group Students Against Discrimination, which organised the initial protests, rejected an offer of talks with Hasina, insisting on her resignation and trial.Earlier,Prime Minister Hasina has invited protest leaders to meet at her official residence, Ganabhaban, and appointed three senior officials to negotiate with the protesters. She emphasized her willingness to listen and avoid conflict.
The protests began over the reintroduction of a quota scheme since scaled back by Bangladesh's top court that reserved more than half of all government jobs for certain groups.This move has disappointed graduates as they are facing an acute unemployment crisis with some 18 million young Bangladeshis out of work, according to government figures. The protests had remained largely peaceful until attacks on demonstrators by police and pro-government student groups. Hasina's government eventually imposed a nationwide curfew, deployed troops and shut down the nation's mobile internet network for 11 days to restore order.
According to local media report, Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman has directed members of the armed forces to ensure the safety and security of people’s lives, properties and important state establishments in any circumstance. Bangladesh Railway suspended operation citing 'unavoidable circumstances'. Report further said that after the attacks on the residences of the Education Minister and Chittagong City Corporation Mayor, four BNP leaders' residences were vandalized and set on fire in the port city. These incidents took place between 8:30 and 9:30 on Saturday night. One  person was killed during clashes between police and protesters in Gazipur's Sreepur sub-district on Saturday afternoon, it said.