Govt imposes curfew, as 67 more people killed during shutdown

FE Team | Published: July 19, 2025 00:07:36

The government imposed a nationwide curfew at midnight past on July 19 last year in face of student-people's stiff resistance as at least 67 people were killed across the country that day during the student-led 'complete shutdown' demanding quota reform in government jobs, reports BSS.
The government announced the deployment of army following a meeting of the then ruling Awami League (AL) led alliance at Ganabhaban with now ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair as the casualties were in rising trend following three-way clashes between police accompanied by AL supporters and the protesters.
After the meeting, Awami League (AL) General Secretary Obaidul Quader told newsmen that the law enforcers would follow the 'shot-at-sight' policy during the curfew.
According to a Dhaka based English daily -The New Age- at least 67 people were killed across the country on July 19 taking the death toll to at least 112 since July 16 following three-way clashes between law enforcers and AL activists, and quota reform protesters.
On July 19, 2024, the students under the banner of anti-discrimination student movement were observing their pre-declared 'complete shutdown' for the second consecutive day, protesting the killings during the movement in previous days and demanding quota reform in government jobs.
On the day, activists of BNP and its associate bodies also joined the movement with the student protesters.
But law enforcers accompanied by activists of AL and its associate bodies allegedly launched assaults on the protesters across the country, leaving at least 62 deaths in the capital on that day alone, the New Age reported.
At least five deaths were reported outside Dhaka, including two in Rangpur and one each in Savar, Sylhet and Narsingdi. However, a Bangla daily- Dainik Samakal- reported that at least 12 people were killed outside the capital that included five in Rangpur, one each in Savar, Gazipur, Bogura, Mymensingh, Sylhet and Madaripur.
Besides, more than 2,000 people were injured across the country on the day.
Hospitals were overwhelmed with gunshot victims and medical staff were struggling to cope with the influx while the government was accused of ordering the hospital authorities not to give treatment to the people injured in the movement, according to July Uprising victims' families.
However, the aggrieved people set fire to several government establishments including the BRTA building and the PBI offices in the city.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) banned motorcycle movement across the capital showing security reasons and imposed a ban on holding any rally or meeting across the city except in front the central offices of AL and BNP.