Senegal university protests turn deadly amid aid dispute (Full Transcript)

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: These are students trying to escape as flames rip through a university building in Dhaka. The dramatic scene comes amid weeks of unrest at Senegal's Cheikh Anta Diop University over financial aid. Late Monday, the government confirmed that a student had died as protests escalated. He was identified as Abdullahi Bar, a second-year dental student. Officials say the circumstances of his death are under investigation. Student leaders claim Bar suffered fatal head injuries. One said he wasn't taking part in protests but was assaulted after police entered student rooms. Authorities have not publicly responded to those claims and described his death as resulting from injuries sustained during what the government called, quote, serious events on campus. This is all unfolding against the backdrop of a worsening financial situation in Senegal. The government, which took office in April 2024, has a $13 billion budget hole and frustration is growing over unpaid bills. At a news conference on Tuesday, the country's interior minister said authorities had intelligence that individuals planned to target university facilities. The university, which has nearly 90,000 students, has closed until further notice, meaning some students now have nowhere to stay. Other students are helping to raise money for their classmates to afford to travel home. Human rights groups are criticizing what they describe as a disproportionate use of force by police.