Dhaka, July 17, 2024 — At least 32 people have been killed and over 2,500 injured in Bangladesh as violence intensifies during student protests demanding reforms to the quota system for government jobs. The unrest peaked on Thursday when students set fire to the country’s state broadcaster, a day after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina appeared on the network seeking to quell the escalating clashes.
Hundreds of university students in Dhaka and other cities have been rallying for weeks against the reservation system in public sector jobs, which includes quotas for the relatives of war heroes who fought for the country’s independence from Pakistan in 1971.
What Triggered the Bangladesh Protests?
The protests began last month after the Bangladesh high court reinstated a quota system for government jobs, overturning a 2018 decision by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government to abolish it. The Supreme Court later suspended the high court’s order following the government’s appeal, setting a date of August 7 to hear the challenge.
Demonstrations escalated when Prime Minister Hasina refused to meet the students’ demands, citing ongoing court proceedings. Violence erupted this week after clashes between anti-quota demonstrators and members of the student wing of Hasina’s Awami League party. The police used rubber bullets, tear gas, and noise grenades to disperse the protesters, but these measures failed to quell the unrest.
Government Response and Internet Shutdown
The authorities have taken drastic measures, including shutting down the metro rail and railway services to and from Dhaka since Thursday afternoon. The government also ordered a shutdown of mobile internet networks across several parts of the country. According to outage monitor Netblocks, Bangladesh is experiencing a “near-total internet shutdown.”
On Thursday, the Bangladesh police website became inaccessible, and the website of the ruling Awami League’s student wing, Bangladesh Chhatra League, was hacked. The government has also ordered schools and universities to close indefinitely amid the escalating protests.
Students’ Demands and Quota System Explained
The students are demanding an end to the quota system that reserves more than half of government jobs for specific groups, including children of veterans from the 1971 liberation war against Pakistan. Introduced in 1972, the quota system has undergone several changes and currently covers groups such as freedom fighters’ families, women, those from underdeveloped districts, Indigenous communities, and the disabled.
When the system was abolished in 2018, 56 percent of government jobs were reportedly reserved under various quotas. The protesting students argue that the quota system reduces the number of government jobs available based on merit, disadvantaging many aspirants.
On Thursday, Bangladesh’s Law Minister Anisul Huq expressed willingness to hold talks with the protesting students after fresh violence erupted across the country. “Whenever they agree, we will sit… it could be held this (Thursday) afternoon even… The government has agreed to hold talks with the quota reformists,” he said.
Prime Minister Hasina condemned the loss of lives and called for patience until the Supreme Court delivers its verdict.
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