Internet connectivity was disrupted across Bangladesh for five consecutive days, from the night of Thursday to late on Tuesday. Internet service has not yet been fully restored in all areas.
This situation hampered news dissemination by media outlets, impacting Dhaka Tribune as well. Here is a summary of the main events over the past few days:
July 18
Student protests: A complete shutdown by students demanding quota reforms began, announced on social media the previous day. Clashes between protesters and law enforcement occurred nationwide, with significant disruptions. Several government buildings were set on fire, including Setu Bhaban. State broadcaster BTV was attacked twice, halting its transmission for 12 hours.
Internet disruption: From around 9pm on Thursday to the night of Tuesday, the entire country experienced an internet outage. Broadband internet services were suspended, following the previous day's halt of 4G services. The government attributed this to damage at the government's data centre due to violence, saying efforts to restore services were underway.
July 19
Meeting of the 14-Party Alliance: Senior leaders of the 14-Party Alliance met to discuss the ongoing unrest. Their recommendations in a subsequent meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina included deploying army troops and imposing a curfew.
Curfew and army deployment: A nationwide curfew and army deployment were decided to control the situation. Initially, there was a curfew from midnight Friday to noon Saturday, followed by another curfew from 2pm until further notice. Additionally, troops were deployed to assist the civil administration.
Government and public structures, including to metro rail stations, faced attacks and vandalism.
Prison break: In Narsingdi, 826 prisoners escaped after breaking the prison gate, seizing weapons. The escapees included members of extremist groups Ansarullah Bangla Team and JMB.
8-point demand: At a late-night meeting, three of the quota reform movement coordinators presented an 8-point demand to government ministers, disassociating themselves from the ongoing violence.
July 20
Executive order for public holidays: The government declared Sunday and Monday as public holidays, later extending it to Tuesday.
Abduction allegation: The family of Nahid Islam, a coordinator of the student movement, alleged his abduction by law enforcement.
July 21:
Supreme Court ruling: The Supreme Court set new quotas for government jobs: 93% merit-based, 5% for descendants of freedom fighters, 1% for ethnic minorities, and 1% for people with disabilities and third-gender individuals.
Joint statement: Some movement coordinators called for a more intense shutdown.
Security meeting: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina held a meeting on the country's security situation, attended by senior military and government officials.
July 22
PM approves notification: The prime minister approved a notification to implement the Supreme Court's quota ruling.
Meeting with business leaders: Sheikh Hasina met business leaders, criticizing opposition groups for inciting violence. She said the curfew would be gradually relaxed.
Control of Jatrabari: Many violent clashes occurred in Jatrabari, which came under control after five days. Reports suggested around 30 casualties, though official numbers were not confirmed.
Info on police casualties: Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said three police officers had been killed in violence related to the quota reform movement. Additionally, he reported that over 100 officers had been injured, with some sustaining serious injuries and three in intensive care.
July 23
Quota circular issued: The Ministry of Public Administration issued a circular implementing the new quota system.
Limited internet service restoration: Broadband internet services were partially restored in various areas, while mobile internet remained suspended.