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Some mobile internet services have been cut in Bangladesh to stem protests against a quota system and government recruitment policies. Most of the protesters are students studying in colleges and universities. The death toll from clashes between protesters and police has risen to
The police used force, including rubber bullets and tear gas, to stop the demonstrations. Protesters also used weapons, including wooden sticks, to confront the police. Rank-and-file members of the ruling Awami League party also opposed the protesters and sparked clashes.
The death toll in the clashes has risen to 12, including six people killed in clashes in the capital Dhaka in July, including a bus driver. Witnesses said the bus driver was shot multiple times. Most of the dead were college students. Hundreds of people were injured.
This is the largest protest against the government of Sheikh Hasina, who was elected for a fourth term in January. The biggest concern of the protesters is the lack of job opportunities for the country’s young people. Statistics show that one in five of Bangladesh’s 170 million people are unemployed.
Protests against the quota system for government appointments began after the Bangladesh High Court ruled that 30% of government jobs should be reserved for families of freedom fighters. After this decision, the percentage of government jobs reserved for certain groups increased by more than 50%. The Bangladesh Supreme Court rescinded the order, but the protests did not end.
Bangladesh Law Minister Anis Haque said the government hopes the protests will end peacefully. [މަޝްވަރާ ކުރަން] Be ready to go. If they want to start negotiations, that will happen,” Haq said.
Hasina, however, refused to respond to the protesters’ call, describing the protests as a show of support for the Pakistani army’s involvement in Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence.
In addition to cutting off mobile internet services and using force to disperse the protests, the Bangladeshi government has also closed all colleges and universities indefinitely. Some foreign embassies in Dhaka have also been closed due to the protests. This includes the US Embassy.
The Bangladeshi government has been criticized by the international community for its actions to curb the protesters. International human rights organizations have also condemned the violence in the strongest terms.
“We call on the Bangladeshi government to ensure the safety of peaceful protesters and arrange immediate medical treatment for those injured,” Amnesty International said in a statement, expressing concern about the use of force to disperse the protests.
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