Schools and universities across Bangladesh have been closed indefinitely after six people were killed in protests over quotas in government jobs.
University students have been rallying against the system that reserves certain public sector jobs for the relatives of war heroes, women, ethnic minorities, and the disabled. A third of the positions are reserved for families of those who fought for the country’s independence from Pakistan in 1971. Students argue that this system is discriminatory and call for recruitment based on merit.
This week, several cities, including the capital Dhaka, witnessed violent clashes between supporters of the anti-quota movement and their opponents, particularly the student wing of the governing Awami League, known as the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL). Students attacked each other with bricks and sticks, while police used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the groups. Hundreds were injured in the violence, according to student activists.
“We blame the BCL members for the violence. They killed the protesters. Police didn’t intervene to save the ordinary students,” said Abdullah Shaleheen Oyon, a coordinator of the anti-quota movement.
Government jobs are highly sought after in Bangladesh due to their good pay. Critics claim the quota system unfairly benefits families of pro-government groups who support Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who won her fourth consecutive election in January. Although Hasina’s government abolished the quota system in 2018 following protests, a court reinstated it in early June, sparking the latest round of demonstrations.
Officials report that three people were killed in Chittagong, two in Dhaka, and one student in Rangpur by a stray bullet. Media reports indicate that at least three of those killed were students, although there is no official confirmation yet. The government blames opposition groups for inciting the violence.
“The student fronts of the opposition Jamaat-e-Islami and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party [BNP] have infiltrated this anti-quota movement. They are the ones who initiated the violence,” said Law Minister Anisul Huq.
Despite the top court suspending the current quota system last week, protests are expected to continue until it is permanently removed. The case is set for hearing on August 7, where students will have the opportunity to present their arguments.
In response to the violent clashes, police raided the BNP headquarters in Dhaka. Senior BNP leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi dismissed the raid as a drama, suggesting it was meant to intimidate students into ending their protests.
Students have blocked roads in Dhaka and other major cities, disrupting traffic. They were further angered by recent comments from Ms. Hasina, who they claim compared them to razakar, a term for collaborators with the Pakistani army during the 1971 war. Hasina’s ministers argue that her comments were misinterpreted and that she did not call the students razakar.
Mohammad Ali Arafat, state minister for information and broadcasting, denied allegations that the Awami League’s student wing incited the violence. He claimed the trouble began when anti-quota students intimidated residents of a hall in Dhaka.
“If there’s chaos on the university campuses, there’s no benefit for the government. We want peace to be maintained,” said Mr. Arafat.
UN Secretary General António Guterres called on the government to "protect the demonstrators against any form of threat or violence," according to his spokesman Stephane Dujarric. The students have vowed to continue their protests until their demands are met.
The government has increased security by deploying the paramilitary Border Guards Bangladesh in five main cities, including Dhaka and Chittagong.
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