Bangladesh imposes nationwide curfew as deadly protests over government jobs escalate

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government late Friday announced a nationwide curfew across Bangladesh and ordered the deployment of military forces to maintain order following days of deadly clashes over the allocation of government jobs.The announcement was made by Obaidul Quader, the general secretary of the ruling Awami League party, and came after police and security officials fired on protesters earlier Friday and banned all gatherings in the capital. Several people were killed, media reports said.Quader said the military was deployed to help the civilian administration keep order.The protests, which began weeks ago but escalated sharply this week, represent the biggest challenge to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina since she won a fourth consecutive term in office after elections in January. Main opposition groups boycotted those polls. There were varying reports of the number of people killed Friday, with Independent Television reporting 17 dead and Somoy TV...