19 July 2024: At least 148 killed as government attempts to quash protests violently
The government-enforced nationwide internet blackout, which had begun on 18 July, continued into the day
On 19 July 2024, Bangladesh witnessed a dramatic escalation in violence stemming from the student-led quota reform movement, culminating in one of the deadliest days of the protests.
Over the course of the day, at least 148 people were killed across the country, with hundreds more injured in fierce confrontations between protesters and law enforcement agencies. The epicentre of the violence was in Dhaka, particularly in Badda, Rampura, Uttara, Jatrabari, and Mohammadpur, but unrest was widespread, with incidents reported from multiple districts.
Clashes erupted with renewed intensity after Friday prayers, and a wave of vandalism swept through public infrastructure. Protesters allegedly set fire to key government establishments — including metro rail stations and Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) offices — while in Narsingdi, demonstrators stormed the district jail, released hundreds of inmates, and torched the prison facility.
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In a move to suppress mobilisation, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police indefinitely banned all forms of public gatherings and processions. Simultaneously, Bangladesh Railway authorities suspended all train services to and from Dhaka under direct instructions from the central government, aiming to halt the convergence of protesters in the capital.
"The government did not shut down the internet — it went out on its own."
The government-enforced nationwide internet blackout, which had begun on 18 July, continued into the day. Cloudflare Radar reported a near-total shutdown of internet traffic in the country, with connectivity dropping to nearly zero around 9:00 pm local time, effectively cutting off communication and obstructing the coordination of protests.
On the earlier day, state minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak had acknowledged that mobile internet was deliberately blocked nationwide to help law enforcement manage the situation.
However, on 19 July, he reversed his stance, claiming instead that the disruption was caused by a fire allegedly set by miscreants at data centres in Mohakhali. In an effort to support this narrative, he even visited the affected sites, asserting, "The government did not shut down the internet — it went down on its own."
Despite the communication blackout and police crackdowns, demonstrations persisted throughout the country. In a symbolic act of resistance, teachers at Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology donned black face coverings around 10:00 am. Elsewhere, in Kishoreganj's Bhairab Thana, protesters laid siege to the local police station. Police inside the station responded by opening fire on the crowd, injuring over a hundred students.
Additional clashes broke out in Dhaka's Uttara, Mohammadpur, and Badda police precincts. Two metro stations — Mirpur 10 and Kazipara — were extensively vandalised.
Amid the intensifying violence, student coordinators issued a formal nine-point demand, calling for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's public apology, the resignation of specific government ministers and university vice chancellors, accountability and punishment for members of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) and police personnel involved in the attacks, compensation for victims, and legal protections for all protesters.
As the situation spiralled beyond the control of regular law enforcement, the government imposed a nationwide curfew effective from midnight and deployed military troops across the country to restore order.
