Bangladesh has been engulfed in widespread violence following fierce confrontations between student demonstrators, security forces, and pro-government student groups over a controversial quota system for government jobs. The unrest has resulted in at least 39 deaths, with Thursday being marked as the most violent day of the conflict.
In cities across the country, including the capital Dhaka, police and protesters armed with sticks and rocks have engaged in intense clashes as students have attempted to disrupt transportation networks throughout Bangladesh. The protesters’ demands center around the Sheikh Hasina administration’s policy of reserving 30 percent of government jobs for the descendants of individuals who fought in the 1971 liberation war from Pakistan.
The protests, driven by high levels of unemployment, represent the most significant unrest since Prime Minister Hasina’s re-election earlier this year. Demonstrators argue that the current quota system is designed to favor supporters of Hasina’s Awami League, the party that spearheaded the independence struggle. They view this policy as discriminatory and are calling for its replacement with a merit-based recruitment system.
