93 DEATHS IN CLASHES AS HASINA GOVT HANGS ON

Fierce clashes in Bangladesh on Sunday left 93 people dead, including 14 policemen, and hundreds injured when the police cracked down on anti-government protestors who are demanding Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation.

- Anisur Rahman

The police fired tear gas and lobbed stun grenades to disperse tens of thousands protesters, leading to imposition of an indefinite curfew from Sunday evening. According to media sources, Hasina's government is teetering and there is a buzz in Dhaka of a transitional military government taking over. The Assistant High Commission of India in Sylhet city has advised Indian nationals to remain alert.

Bangladesh Army, in a statement that did not explicitly say whether they supported the protesters, stated that they stand by the people. Army Chief Waker-uz-Zaman told officers that "the Bangladesh Army is a symbol of the people's trust" and "it has always stood by the people and will continue to do so for the sake of the people and the state". At the same time, some former military officers have joined the student movement, and ex-Army Chief General Ikbal Karim Bhuiyan turned his Facebook profile picture red in a show of support.