As many as 39 people have been killed in massive student riots in Bangladesh against reservations in government jobs. Hundreds of people have been injured as the police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the protesters who torched vehicles, police posts and other establishments, according to witnesses. The agitation has led the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina-led government to shut down mobile internet services in some parts of the South Asian country. Here are five key details about the issue. As per reports, about 202 Indians crossed over to India via Meghalaya's Dawki check post to escape the violence.
Why are students protesting?
Student rioters across Bangladesh have been clashing with the police and pro-government activists in their demand to replace reservations with merit-based systems in government jobs. The protesters believe that the “discriminatory” quota system is framed to favor supporters of Sheikh Hasina's Awami League. According to the quota system, 30% of government jobs are reserved for the families of people who fought in the 1971 war of independence from Pakistan.
Clashes Have Turned Violent, Hundreds Injured
The protests started at Dhaka University in late June and have now turned violent, proving fatal for over 39 people. Hundreds of people were injured as police used tear gas and rubber bullets to curb the attacks on establishments, police posts, and some Awami League officers. Though the Bangladesh government scrapped these quotas in 2018, a High Court reinstated them later. This is reportedly one of the worst agitations since PM Hasina was re-elected earlier in 2024.
Telecommunication Services Cut
Communication services were disrupted on July 19 as aAuthorities shut down some mobile internet services in the country, according to reports. According to NetBlocks, the South Asian country faced a “near-total” shutdown the previous night. Telephone calls from overseas were mostly not getting connected. Additionally, TV channels in Bangladesh came to a standstill as rioters set the state broadcaster BTV's building ablaze on July 18, a day after PM Hasina appeared on the network seeking to calm the clashes.
The official websites of the Bangladesh Central Bank, the Prime Minister's Office and the police were reportedly hacked by a group calling itself “THE R3SISTANC3″. “Operation HuntDown, Stop Killing Students.” The websites displayed the messages, in bright red font, “It's not a protest anymore, it's a war now.”
PM Hasina's response
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina refused to meet the students' demands, further worsening the protests. She also reportedly used the term 'razakar' (volunteers) – a term used for those who allegedly collaborated with the Pakistani army during the 1971 war that perpetrated some of the worst atrocities during the war.
Her government declared that judicial inquiries would be conducted and the perpetrators would be brought to justice. The Bangladesh Supreme Court has set August 7 to hear the government's appeal against the High Court's order reinstating the quota, which was abolished by the government in 2018.
UN Chief Appeals For Peace
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern over the matters in Bangladesh and urged authorities and the rioters to find peaceful solutions. “The secretary-general encourages the meaningful and constructive participation of youth to address the ongoing challenges in Bangladesh. Violence can never be the solution,” UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.
