Bangladesh… 4 killed during protests against PM Modi's visit

At least four people were shot dead in Bangladesh's Chittagong on Friday in violent demonstration against the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a police official said.

The  police fired rubber bullets at protesters during the violent demonstration .

"We had to fire teargas and rubber bullets to disperse them as they entered a police station and carried out extensive vandalism," Rafiqul Islam, the police official stated.

Four bodies of members of Hefazat-e-Islam, a hardline Islamist group, were brought to Chittagong Medical College Hospital after violence erupted at Hathazari, the police said.

"We got four bodies here. They are all hit with bullets. Three of them are madrasa students and another a tailor," Alauddin Talukder, a police inspector at the hospital, told AFP.

Moreover, Talukder noted that at least four other demonstrators were critically injured; nonetheless, he did not say who opened fire.

Ruhul Amin, the government administrator of Hathazari town, indicated that up to 1,500 supporters of Hefazat attacked a police station chanting anti-Modi slogans.

"They attacked us all of a sudden," Amin said, without confirming whether any protesters were killed.

The violent demonstrations occur as Bangladesh marks 50 years of independence from Pakistan, celebrating its economic achievements, which activist groups say have been overshadowed by rights abuses.