In an unprecedented escalation of ongoing student protests, protesters stormed a small jail in Narsingdi, central Bangladesh, on Friday, liberating hundreds of detainees before setting fire to the facility, according to a police officer.
“The inmates fled the jail, and the protesters set the jail on fire,” the police officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“I don’t know the exact number of inmates, but it would be in the hundreds.”
Moushumi Sarker, a top government official in Narsingdi district, confirmed the jailbreak but did not provide any other information.
Ripon, a local resident who lives near the jail, reported seeing at least 20 men leave with handbags full of personal goods.
This episode occurred during a week of heightened tensions in Bangladesh, where at least 50 people were killed in a police crackdown on student protests.
The demonstrations have called for changes to public-sector hiring regulations, resulting in widespread disruption and violence.
