About 1,500 people were killed in protests that toppled the former prime minister of Bangladesh.

(CLO) Approximately 1,500 people have died in protests that overthrew former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, according to interim Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus on November 17.

"Every day, more names are added to the list of martyrs," Yunus said in a nationwide address marking 100 days of the interim government , while also vowing to prosecute those responsible for the violence.

Yunus's estimate, from economist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, is higher than the earlier official figure of around 1,000 deaths in the student-led protests.

Students participate in a protest marking one month since the overthrow of the government at Dhaka University on September 5. Photo: Reuters

The protests, which began in July and were led by students against public sector job quotas, escalated into one of the deadliest riots since Bangladesh gained independence in 1971, forcing Hasina to flee to India.

Mr. Yunus said an investigative committee had found information on 1,600 missing persons cases as of October, but the total number could exceed 3,500.

He also reaffirmed the interim government's commitment to seeking Hasina's extradition from India. He added that the interim government had begun efforts to bring those responsible for the disappearances, murders, and violence of July and August to an international court.

He said the roadmap for the next general election in the country of 170 million people would be announced after electoral reforms are completed. Political parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, have been pressuring the interim government to hold national elections as soon as possible.

Ngoc Anh (according to Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/khoang-1500-nguoi-thiet-mang-trong-cac-cuoc-bieu-tinh-lat-do-cuu-thu-tuong-bangladesh-post321814.html