Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has wept at a train station that was destroyed during anti-government protests.
Ms Hasina visited a metro rail station in the city of Mirpur on Thursday, where ticket vending machines and the signalling control station were shattered. She was pictured frowning and wiping her tears with tissue paper.
“What kind of mentality leads them to destroy facilities that make people’s lives easier? Dhaka city was clogged with traffic. The metro rail offered respite. I cannot accept the destruction of this transport facility made with modern technology,” Bangladeshi daily The Business Standard quoted the prime minister as saying.
At least 150 people have been killed as a result of nationwide clashes between police and protesters, mostly university students, with security forces accused of excessive force.
The protests began about two weeks ago over quotas imposed on government jobs, with many demanding it be scrapped.
Meanwhile, the pictures taken during Ms Hasina’s visit to metro rail station and comments made by the PM have enraged Bangladeshi internet users.
Many accused Ms Hasina of not expressing the same level of sympathy towards those who had died, or their families.
Bangladesh had earlier reserved about 30% of its high-paying government jobs for relatives of those who fought in the country’s war for independence from Pakistan in 1971.
On Sunday, Bangladesh’s top court rolled back most of these quotas and ruled that 93% of roles would now be filled on merit – meeting a key demand of protesters.
Some student leaders have vowed to continue protesting to demand justice for protesters killed and detained in recent days. They are also seeking the resignation of government ministers and an apology from Ms Hasina.
