Bangladesh: (CNI) Bangladesh quota protest: Hundreds of university students in Dhaka and other cities have been holding rallies for weeks
At least 32 people have been killed, and over 2,500 are injured in Bangladesh as violence escalated during student protests who are demanding quota system reform for government jobs. On Thursday, the protests took an even ugly turn as the demonstrating students set fire to the country’s state broadcaster, a day after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina appeared on the network seeking to calm the escalating clashes.
Hundreds of university students in Dhaka and other cities have been holding rallies for weeks, protesting the system of reservation in public sector jobs, including that for the relatives of war heroes, who fought for the country’s independence from Pakistan in 1971.
The protests began last month after the Bangladesh high court reinstated a quota system for government jobs, overturning a 2018 decision by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government to scrap it. However, the Supreme Court suspended the high court’s order after the government’s appeal, setting a date of August 7 to hear the government’s challenge.
The demonstrations escalated when Sheikh Hasina refused to meet the students’ demands, citing court proceedings.
They turned violent this week following clashes between thousands of anti-quota demonstrators and members of the student wing of Hasina’s Awami League party. The police also resorted to using rubber bullets, tear gas and noise grenades to disperse the protesters, but to no avail.(CNI)
