Demonstrators stormed a local jail in the central Bangladesh district of Narsingdi on Friday in a dramatic escalation of ongoing student protests, releasing hundreds of inmates before setting the facility ablaze, as stated by a police officer.
“The inmates ran away from the jail, and the protesters set the jail on fire,” the police officer reported, speaking on condition of anonymity.
A senior government official, Moushumi Sarker, in Narsingdi district, confirmed the jailbreak but did not give further details.
A local resident, Ripon, living near the jail, discussed seeing about 20 men leaving the facility, carrying their properties in handbags.
This jailbreak happened amid a week of heightened tensions in Bangladesh, where about 50 people have been murdered following a police crackdown on student protests.
The protests have been calling for reforms to public service hiring rules, leading to widespread unrest and violence.
