Tuesday, 01 October 2024
Tuesday, 01 October 2024
Police fire tear gas shells and rubber bullets to disperse students shouting slogans in favor of quota system in public service at the university campus, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Wednesday, July 17, 2024. Bangladesh finds itself on the brink of chaos as clashes between protesters and security forces intensify, with bullets and tear gas marking the latest confrontations. On Friday, internet and mobile services were disrupted following days of deadly unrest over the contentious allocation of government jobs.
A student hides beneath a vechicle as students clash over quota system at Jahangir Nagar University at Savar outside Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, July 15, 2024. The demonstrations, which have been brewing for weeks, surged on July 15, presenting the gravest challenge to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina since her re-election in January, an election marred by the absence of main Opposition parties. The latest outbreak of violence, which saw the bloodiest day of protests with 22 reported fatalities, has laid bare the fractures within Bangladesh’s governance and economy. Bangladeshi media outlet Pratham Alo reported, at least three people died on Friday in Dhaka's Rampura-Badda area. There is conflicting information about the exact death toll, with local media reporting various figures amidst the ongoing unrest.
Students clash over quota system at Jahangir Nagar University at Savar outside Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, July 15, 2024. Students, disillusioned by the scarcity of employment opportunities, have been at the forefront of these protests. Their demands are clear: an end to the 30% job quota reserved for families of those who fought in the 1971 war of independence.
Students argue that this system is inherently biased, favouring supporters of Hasina’s Awami League party, which spearheaded the independence movement. In place of the quota, they are advocating for a merit-based system.
Students clash over quota system at Jahangir Nagar University at Savar outside Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, July 15, 2024. In a twist of legal wrangling, the government had abolished the quota system in 2018, only for it to be reinstated by a high court ruling last month. However, the Supreme Court has since suspended this decision, with a hearing set for August 7 to deliberate the government’s appeal.
Students clash over quota system at Jahangir Nagar University at Savar outside Dhaka, Bangladesh, Tuesday, July 16, 2024. The unrest has also taken a toll on communication channels, with overseas calls and internet-based communications severely disrupted. Websites of several Bangladeshi newspapers and their social media feeds were notably inactive on Friday morning.
Undeterred, the student protesters have vowed to continue their shutdown on Friday, calling on mosques nationwide to hold funeral prayers for those who have lost their lives. Prime Minister Hasina, in a televised address on July 17, urged the demonstrators to await the court's decision, expressing her belief that justice would prevail.
Defending the quota system, Hasina has maintained that the veterans of the independence war deserve the highest respect, regardless of their political affiliations. Meanwhile, the main Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has thrown its support behind the student protesters and is poised to organise demonstrations of its own.
The government has responded with accusations, claiming that the BNP has incited violence, leading to raids on the party's headquarters and the arrest of its student wing activists.
As Bangladesh stands at this crossroads, the resolution of this crisis remains uncertain. The upcoming court hearing could either quell the unrest or ignite further tensions, leaving the nation on tenterhooks.
