Category: Bangladesh

The verdict, delivered on Sunday, comes after weeks of violent protests – led predominantly by students – that led to over 100 casualties…reports Asian Lite News

Following protests that resulted into the deaths of over 100 fatalities over contentious civil service hiring rules, Bangladesh Supreme Court ruled to slash the quota reserved for relatives of war veterans’ from 30 per cent to 5 per cent while allowing 93 per cent to be allocated based on merit and the remaining 2 per cent will be earmarked for members of ethnic minorities, transgender individuals, and the disabled, Al Jazeera reported, citing, local reports.

The unrest was sparked by students who have long demanded an overhaul of the quota system, which originally reserved 30 per cent of government jobs for descendants of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s war of independence in 1971. Critics argued that this system favoured allies of the ruling Awami League party, which spearheaded the liberation movement against Pakistan.

In response to the escalating protests, the Supreme Court ruled to slash the quota reserved for veterans’ descendants from 30 per cent to 5 per cent. The majority of government jobs, 93 per cent, will now be allocated based on merit, while the remaining 2 per cent will be earmarked for members of ethnic minorities, transgender individuals, and the disabled.

The verdict, delivered on Sunday, comes after weeks of demonstrations led predominantly by students. Tensions reached a peak when clashes erupted between protesters and groups allegedly linked to the Awami League, resulting in accusations of excessive force by the police against demonstrators, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government had previously attempted to abolish the quota system in 2018, but the High Court reinstated it last month, reigniting public outrage and prompting renewed protests.

Throughout the unrest, the government imposed stringent measures, including a curfew, the deployment of military forces, and a communication blackout that isolated Bangladesh from the outside world. Reports emerged of police using tear gas, rubber bullets, and smoke grenades to disperse protesters, exacerbating public anger.

Hasina defended the quota system, emphasising the contributions of veterans to the nation’s independence regardless of their political affiliations. However, her government’s efforts to portray demonstrators as unpatriotic further fueled discontent among the protesters.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan announced a temporary easing of the curfew to allow residents to stock up on essentials, but uncertainty loomed over its duration. The government’s decision to sever phone and internet connections contributed to what was described as an “information blackout.”

The heavy-handed response from authorities intensified calls for broader political reforms beyond the quota issue, with demands growing for the government’s resignation. Protesters asserted that the demonstrations were not just about job quotas but also about the loss of lives, the destruction of property, and the stifling of information flow.

Political analysts viewed the protests as a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, suggesting that the government faced a significant challenge to its legitimacy. Despite the turmoil, opinions diverged on the potential outcomes, with some predicting political survival for Hasina’s administration while others speculated on the protesters’ ability to sustain pressure for systemic change.

The court’s decision to reduce the quota system was met with cautious optimism by some protesters, although the broader implications remained uncertain amid ongoing restrictions and tensions.

In response to the escalating crisis, Hasina’s government declared public holidays and restricted non-essential services to manage the situation, Al Jazeera reported. (ANI)

Nepal students share ordeals in Bangladesh

Dozens of Nepali students managed to return to Nepal from violence-hit Bangladesh on Sunday. Upon arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, the returnees could not contain their emotions as they recounted the situation they encountered back in Dhaka.

It only had been three months since Sadiskhya Basnet flew to Bangladesh for her medical studies but had to flee back to Kathmandu due to the rising violence and communication blackout in Bangladesh.

“Back there all the communication means are down, so that the information cannot pass out. All the means of communication have been seized, and the situation there is critical,” Basnet told ANI upon arrival at the airport on Sunday afternoon.

Basnet, a medical student in Inam Medical College claimed that security personnel came in search of the students who participated in the protest to detain them.

“Those Bengali friends who went onto the protests in the daytime, the Police used to come to our college during the night in search of them, after this we started to worry and phone communication with family was also not working. We were able to contact our family through the consultancy and come back to Nepal after making all the arrangements on our own,” Basnet explained further.

“Curfew also has been imposed there, no internet and communication means, even we could not go out of the hostel, we could not remain disconnected with our family, how could we have sat back there?” she added.

Another medical student stood beside her father at the exit of the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu relaxed and happy to be back from the violence-hit areas.

“I feel safe obviously upon being back,” the student, Krishpa Rai replied.

Rai said that the communication blackout had made it scarier with the situation turning grim for not being able to contact the family.

“We were pretty scared because we couldn’t contact our parents. We couldn’t contact anyone, all of us were really scared.”

As per Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, an estimated three thousand five hundred Nepali students are in Bangladesh in the course of their studies. On Saturday, the ministry said that approximately 800 Nepali students left Bangladesh for Nepal by air or via land border points.

“We packed our belongings and arranged the vehicle and moved out in the night all on our own. We stayed in the airport all night waiting for the entry and caught our flight in the morning and flew back to Kathmandu, all these were done by ourselves,” Maulata, another Nepali student shared her story with ANI about how she along with her friends managed to land Kathmandu from Dhaka.

Nepal’s Foreign Ministry has reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all Nepali students in the South Asian country that has witnessed violent agitation in the past week.

“The Embassy of Nepal in Dhaka has coordinated with most of the students to facilitate their safe travel from various places in Bangladesh to Dhaka airport or to related border points,” the ministry said in a post on X late evening on Saturday.

“It has been closely coordinating with universities, concerned authorities, and law enforcement agencies in Bangladesh.”

Bangladeshi students intensified their agitation against the quotas for government jobs, which included 30 per cent reservation for the families of those who fought for independence from Pakistan.

The Bangladesh government has ordered all offices and institutions to stay closed for two days after over 120 people were killed this week during the protests, according to international news agencies.

In the capital city Dhaka, the epicentre of the protests, security forces have set up roadblocks to enforce a curfew.

Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli updating a status on Facebook, claimed the government made arrangements for Nepali students to return home.

“As per the demand of the student’s family members, arrangements have been made to repatriate 17 students studying at Savar-based Enam Medical College via Dhaka airport at 4 am on Sunday,” Nepal Prime Minister Oli wrote on social media late on Saturday evening.

In the post, he stated that the initiative came after meeting family members of some students in Bangladesh. He has also asked the concerned people to fill up the online forms as arranged by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Meanwhile, posting an ‘urgent notice’ on X, Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba urged the students, their guardians and kin to submit applications through the online link arranged by the ministry for the same purpose.

As the student-led anti-government protests surge in Bangladesh, the country has imposed a curfew, and the authorities have disabled mobile internet services nationwide, citing the need to curb disinformation.

Following the curfew, the authorities have also shut down schools and universities indefinitely. Bangladesh announced a nationwide curfew on Friday evening after clashes between police and various student groups killed dozens of people.

The protests started after the students’ violent backlash against a new policy to reserve a portion of government jobs for descendants of the nation’s freedom fighters. Moreover, the protesters attacked the state television headquarters in Dhaka and set fire to police booths on Thursday as they called for a “complete shutdown” of the country.

The ongoing running street battles between security forces using rubber bullets and tear gas have forced life in several neighborhoods of Bangladesh to a halt.

The protests have been driven by demands for reform of the country’s quota system for civil service jobs, which reserves positions for specific groups, including descendants of those who participated in the 1971 War of Independence against Pakistan.

Students like Sushmita Kumari who returned back from Bangladesh vow to return back for her degree after the situation calms down.

“I am in final years of my studies, I want to complete my studies and need my degree, I would return there if the situation goes right. If they hold talks and solve it…” Sushmita Kumari said. (ANI)

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The neighbouring nation has been witnessing widespread protests for weeks over the reintroduction of reservation in government jobs…reports Asian Lite News

The Bangladesh government has imposed a curfew and a shoot-on-sight order after students-led anti-quota protests claimed 133 lives.

The Bangladeshi Supreme Court was expected to rule on a civil service hiring quota on Sunday that has led to days of deadly clashes between police and protesters.

The neighbouring nation has been witnessing widespread protests for weeks over the reintroduction of reservation in government jobs.

Student groups are protesting against a quota system that reserves up to 30 per cent of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s ‘War of Independence’ in 1971 against Pakistan.

The clash between students, government supporters, and security forces began last month. However, tension escalated on Monday after six people were killed, leading the government to order all universities to close.

In 2018, the government suspended job quotas due to mass student protests. However, in June, Bangladesh’s High Court overturned that decision and reinstated the quotas.

On Wednesday, during an address to the nation, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asserted that there is an opportunity to resolve the issue through a legal process as the government has already appealed to the apex court against the court’s verdict, and a hearing date has been fixed in the Appellate Division.

“It is a matter of sorrow that some vested quarters started making different kinds of statements and engaged in terrorist activities to gain their ambitious intentions centring on this movement. As the matter has been brought before the top court, I call upon all to keep patience,” said the Bangladesh PM.

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Students have been demonstrating since the beginning of July against a rule that reserves a bulk of government jobs for the descendants of those who fought in the country’s 1971 liberation war…reports Asian Lite News

The Bangladeshi military was deployed to the streets to impose a nationwide curfew on Saturday, after more than 100 people were killed in clashes between police and students protesting government job quotas.

The curfew follows a communications blackout that has left the country of 170 million cut off from the world. Television channels were off air and most local news websites were down as the government shut internet services a day earlier.

“Army members will operate in aid to the civil administration under the guidance of district administrators and city commissioners,” said Home Minister Asaduzzaman Kamal.

In the capital, the military joined riot police and thousands of Border Guard personnel after the Dhaka Metropolitan Police banned all gatherings amid increasing numbers of casualties.

Students have been demonstrating since the beginning of July against a rule that reserves a bulk of government jobs for the descendants of those who fought in the country’s 1971 liberation war.

At least 103 people have been killed in the past five days and thousands injured, according to a count based on reports in the local media. On Friday alone, at least 44 people were killed in Dhaka, which saw intense clashes between protesters, government supporters and security forces.

Air Commodore (Rtd) Ishfaq Ilahi Choudhury, a security analyst, told Arab News that the nationwide military-backed curfew and the amount of violence across the country were “something unprecedented.”

He was referring to reports that numerous administration offices were set on fire and government vehicles vandalized on Friday. On Thursday, the headquarters of a state-owned television station was set ablaze.

“We have not seen such vandalism earlier in the country where many significant government establishments were vandalized and set on fire,” Choudhury said.

The government abolished the controversial quota system after student protests in 2018, but the High Court reinstated it in June, triggering protests.

An appeal hearing is expected at the Supreme Court on Sunday morning.

Under the quota system, 56 percent of public service jobs are reserved for specific groups, including women, marginalized communities and children and grandchildren of freedom fighters — for whom the government earmarks 30 percent of the posts.

These quotas, which reserve hundreds of thousands of government jobs, hit young people directly.

The country’s unemployment rate is the highest among people aged between 15 and 29 — more than a fourth of Bangladesh’s population — who constitute 83 percent of the total unemployed.

‘Situation is grim’

Mohammed Mehdi Hasan Khan, a Bangladeshi resident said the situation is very grim there. “I came here in India on a medical visa for my mother’s treatment. We have a family business back home,” he said.

Khan added, “The country is in big trouble. Since the network is off, we cannot access news and know what is happening around us.”

A total of 245 Indian nationals, including 125 Indian nationals and 13 Nepali students, arrived on Friday through the Gede border crossing in West Bengal.

The India High Commission in Dhaka has been coordinating with local authorities in Bangladesh to provide adequate security to students who are keen on travelling to India, sources said on Friday.

The Indian mission, in coordination with BSF and the Bureau of Immigration, is facilitating Indian students who are travelling back to India from Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, in Assam, Semim Sultana, mother of Asif Hussain, a student at a medical college in Bangladesh who amid the ongoing countrywide protests in Bangladesh, crossed the border to come back to India, said they were very worried for the past few days amid the unrest.

“My son told me that the situation there was not good, so they are coming back…10 to 15 people booked a vehicle and entered Kolkata…From Sealdah they are coming by train…we were very worried…around 5 students from Dhubri are studying there,” Hussain said.

‘Internal matter of Bangladesh, hope matter is resolved soon’

Terming the ongoing protests in Bangladesh against the quota system in government jobs as an “internal matter” of the neighbouring country, Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh expressed hope that the Sheikh Hasina-led government will resolve the matter soon.

He also said the current situation is “worrying” and the issues of students should always be heard.

Singh said, “This is a worrying issue. Students’ issues should always be heard, and we are hopeful that the Bangladesh government will resolve is matter soon. The Bangladeshi Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, has been in power for several terms. She would surely restore normalcy after discussions and deliberations,” he added.

Singh further said that he believed that this is an “internal matter” of Bangladesh and India won’t meddle in it.

“We don’t want to meddle in the private affairs of the country…I wish the issue be resolved soon,” he added.

The MoS further said that India will work for the return of Indian students if the need arises. “No matter what, they will rescue Indians stuck abroad. We will rescue all Indians from outside if needs be so,” Singh said.

Shubham Saha, an Indian resident, who arrived from Bangladesh through Akhaura Integrated Checkpost in Tripura, said that the internet shutdown is making things difficult for them.

“The network is completely cut off there. This doesn’t happen in India across the country. Moreover, because of the protests, the cab fares have shot up. It normally takes BDT (Bangladeshi Taka) 200 for me to reach here from Babonbariya. But today, the driver charged me BDT 1,000,” he said.

Around 150 students return

Meanwhile, around 150 Indian students from Bangladesh arrived through the Integrated Check Post here. The students arrived in Agartala on Saturday.

Rajeev Agnihotri DIG, Sector Commander, Border Security Force (BSF), said that around 150 students have comeback through different ICPs.

“Due to the current situation in Bangladesh, the Indian and foreign students who were studying there are coming back through different ICPs (Integrated Check Post)…till now around 150 students have come back through different ICPs. BSF is making all the necessary arrangements for this,” he said.

Vishal Kumar, District Megistrate, West Tripura, said, “In the last 4-5 days, anti-reservation protests have been going on in Bangladesh, and especially the students and other citizens of neighbouring countries like India have been greatly affected by them. Almost their entire system is under seizure. Due to this, many of our citizens are coming to our country, including many people from Tripura, especially yesterday and today, many students and many of our Indians who have gone there due to different occupations are coming.”

Safety of Indians

Meanwhile, EAM Jaishankar said on Saturday that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is focused on ensuring the safety and well-being of Indian nationals in Bangladesh.

Sharing the update on the return of Indian nationals in Bangladesh on X, which was posted earlier by the official spokesperson of MEA, Randhir Jaiswal, the EAM wrote, “Appreciate the concern of families and well wishers of Indian nationals in Bangladesh.”

“MEA is fully focused on ensuring their safety and well being. The current situation is as below,” Jaishankar said further.

In its official release earlier Saturday, the High Commission of India in Dhaka and the Assistant High Commissions in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet and Khulna have been assisting the return of Indian nationals home following the recent developments there.

In order to facilitate safe travel, the MEA is also coordinating with civil aviation, immigration, land ports and Border Security Force (BSF) authorities.

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Death toll reportedly rose to 39; protesters set fire to a building of the state broadcaster, BTV; the nation experienced widespread mobile internet outages…reports Asian Lite News

Violence in Bangladesh intensified on Thursday as students set fire to a building of the state broadcaster, BTV, a day after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina appeared on the network seeking to quell the unrest. The death toll in the ongoing violence has reached 39, according to media reports.

Protesters demanding civil service hiring reforms clashed with riot police, who responded with rubber bullets. The protesters overwhelmed the police, chased them to BTV’s headquarters in Dhaka, and set ablaze the network’s reception building and numerous vehicles.

Many people were reportedly trapped inside as the fire spread, but a BTV official later confirmed that the building was safely evacuated. The fire, however, continued to burn, and the broadcaster’s transmission was halted.

In response to the unrest, Hasina’s government has indefinitely closed schools and universities. She had appeared on BTV on Wednesday night, condemning the “murder” of protesters and promising punishment for those responsible, regardless of their political ties. Despite her appeal for calm, violence escalated as police again tried to disperse demonstrations using rubber bullets and tear gas.

Protester Bidisha Rimjhim, 18, told news agency AFP that their first demand is an apology from the prime minister, and secondly, justice for their killed peers.

On Thursday alone, 25 people were killed, adding to the seven fatalities earlier in the week, according to hospital tallies. Hospital officials indicated that police weaponry caused at least two-thirds of these deaths. One hospital reported seven deaths, with injuries ranging from rubber bullets to gunshots.

Nearly 1,000 individuals were treated for injuries at the same hospital, mostly from rubber bullets. Journalist Mehedi Hasan was killed while covering the clashes in Dhaka.

Violence erupted in several cities as riot police confronted protesters blocking roads and highways. Helicopters rescued 60 police officers trapped on the roof of a campus building at Canadian University, where fierce clashes occurred.

Protests have been demanding an end to a quota system reserving over half of civil service posts for specific groups, including children of veterans from the 1971 liberation war. Critics argue the system benefits pro-government groups supporting Hasina, who has been in power since 2009 and won her fourth consecutive election in January.

Rights groups accuse her administration of suppressing dissent and using extrajudicial killings against opposition activists. Mubashar Hasan, a Bangladesh expert at the University of Oslo, noted that the protests have evolved into broader discontent with Hasina’s autocratic rule, with protesters calling her a dictator.

Bangladesh experienced widespread mobile internet outages on Thursday, following restrictions on Facebook access two days earlier. Junior telecommunications minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak claimed social media had been weaponized to spread misinformation, prompting the government to restrict access.

Alongside police crackdowns, clashes have occurred between demonstrators and students allied with the ruling Awami League, involving bricks and bamboo rods. Amnesty International reported that Bangladeshi security forces had used unlawful force against protesters.

Indians in Bangladesh advised to stay indoor

The Indian Embassy in Bangladesh on Thursday issued an advisory urging Indian students and nationals residing in the country to restrict their outdoor movements in the wake of ongoing massive student protests throughout the country, which has resulted in at least six deaths so far.

“In view of the ongoing situation in Bangladesh, the Indian community members and the Indian students residing in Bangladesh are advised to avoid travel and minimise their movement outside their living premises,” the advisory stated.

The advisory has also issued a 24-hour emergency helpline number and urged Indian nationals to reach out to the High Commission in Dhaka and Assistant High Commissions for any need or assistance as most of the country observed a complete shutdown on Thursday.

Student demonstrations in Bangladesh have taken a violent turn as anti-quota protesters clashed with members of the ruling Awami League party’s student wing across the country, local media reported.

In light of the volatile situation, the High Commission of India in Dhaka and the Indian Assistant High Commissions in Chittagong, Sylhet, and Khulna have established 24-hour emergency contact numbers for Indian nationals and students who require assistance:

High Commission of India, Dhaka: +880-1937400591 (also on WhatsApp)

Assistant High Commission of India, Chittagong: +880-1814654797 / +880-1814654799 (also on WhatsApp)

Assistant High Commission of India, Sylhet: +880-1313076411 (also on WhatsApp)

Assistant High Commission of India, Khulna: +880-1812817799 (also on WhatsApp)

The recent protests have been fueled by dissatisfaction with Bangladesh’s quota system, which sets aside a significant number of civil service positions for specific groups. This system has been a contentious issue in Bangladesh for years, with current demonstrations reflecting deep-seated frustrations over both the quota system and the response of law enforcement to peaceful student movements.

The Indian government continues to monitor the situation and advises all citizens in Bangladesh to adhere to the travel advisory and reach out to the High Commission or Assistant High Commissions if they are in need of urgent assistance.

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Bangladesh indefinitely closed all educational institutions on Wednesday following deadly clashes between students and police as campus protests against job quotas spread across the country….reports Asian Lite News

The Bangladesh government has deployed paramilitary forces following the deaths of at least six people during violent demonstrations by thousands of university students, raising concerns about potential instability in a nation accustomed to protests.

For weeks, students across Bangladesh have been protesting against quotas for government jobs.

Bangladesh indefinitely closed all educational institutions on Wednesday following deadly clashes between students and police as campus protests against job quotas spread across the country.

Students have been demonstrating since early July against the government’s quota system, which reserves 30 percent of public service jobs for families of those who fought in Bangladesh’s 1971 liberation war. They demand a reform of the system for a fairer distribution of these well-paid jobs.

The protests turned violent on Sunday after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina suggested that the demonstrators supported the “razakars,” or those who collaborated with the Pakistani military during the 1971 war. Students condemned this comparison, leading to larger rallies and clashes with members of the ruling Awami League’s youth wing and security forces.

As violence escalated and turned deadly on Tuesday, the Ministry of Education and the University Grants Commission of Bangladesh announced that all secondary educational institutions, universities, and medical colleges would remain closed “until further notice” for student safety.

Local media reported that at least six people, including four students, were killed and 400 injured in clashes in Dhaka, Chottogram, Rajshahi, and Rangpur. Protesters believe the actual numbers are higher.

“More than 1,000 of our protesters were injured during the clashes. Seven died, including one bystander. We held funeral prayers in absentia for our fellows who lost their lives,” Arab News quoted Mohammad Nahid Islam, coordinator of the Students Against Discrimination group in Dhaka, as saying.

He added, “Today, police attacked protesting students at the Dhaka University campus with a stun grenade and tear gas shells. Many of our female students became sick and injured. We are concerned about our security.”

Meanwhile, the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka on Wednesday advised Pakistani students in Bangladesh to take necessary precautions and stay away from student protests.

“Pakistan High Commission advises students to take all possible precautions for their safety and stay away from protests,” the High Commission said in a statement. “Campus residents have been advised to stay in their hostel rooms.”

On Wednesday morning, Deputy Prime Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar also spoke to the Pakistani High Commissioner in Bangladesh, Ambassador Syed Maruf, to inquire about the welfare of Pakistanis in Bangladesh.

“Maruf informed the Deputy Prime Minister about the security situation and the steps taken by the High Commission to ensure the welfare of Pakistanis in Bangladesh,” the statement said. “The embassy has opened a helpline for the convenience of people in distress.”

Two days ago, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed disappointment with a US State Department statement, saying that it made “unsubstantiated claims of at least two deaths from the ongoing student protests in Bangladesh.”

“Use of unverified information to make such baseless claims can fuel violence and undermine Bangladesh government’s efforts to maintain a peaceful environment to allow non-violent protests or movement,” foreign ministry spokesperson Seheli Sabrin said in a press conference on Tuesday, Xinhua news agency reported.

During a press briefing at the State Department in Washington on Monday, spokesperson Mathew Miller said the US was monitoring reports of widespread student protests that “have killed two and attacked and injured hundreds” in Dhaka and across Bangladesh.

Students in Bangladeshi capital Dhaka and elsewhere in the country have been staging protests against a recruitment system for government jobs.

Local English newspaper The Daily Star reported that activists of the student body of the ruling Bangladesh Awami League (AL) party attacked quota protesters on Dhaka University campus Monday, triggering fierce clashes that left at least hundreds injured.

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The protests began after the High Court reinstated a quota system that was abolished in 2018, which reserved 30 percent of government jobs for descendants of freedom fighters from the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War….reports Asian Lite News

In the wake of violent protests over a controversial quota system in government jobs, Bangladesh is grappling with unrest on its university campuses. The turmoil has been marked by violent clashes between student protesters and members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student wing of the ruling Awami League party, media reported.

The protests began after the High Court reinstated a quota system that was abolished in 2018, which reserved 30 percent of government jobs for descendants of freedom fighters from the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. This decision has incited anger among many young Bangladeshis who feel their job prospects are hindered by the quotas.

At least six people, including three students, lost their lives, and over 100 others were injured on Tuesday as clashes erupted between protesters and police. The violence forced the closure of schools and colleges across the country.

The unrest saw two new fatalities in Dhaka and Chattogram, with earlier reports of four deaths from these cities and Rangpur. At least three of the deceased were students, and around 400 individuals were injured as the protests escalated, turning violent after a week of demonstrations.

In response, the government deployed Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) troops in four major cities and ordered the shutdown of all high schools, colleges, madrasahs, and polytechnic institutes until further notice for student safety, as announced by an education ministry spokesperson.

Dhaka witnessed significant turmoil, with unidentified individuals setting buses on fire and detonating Molotov cocktails. Sporadic clashes caused roadblocks, stranding thousands in the usually bustling capital.

The conflict intensified on Monday when the ruling Awami League’s student wing, the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), confronted the protesters. Demonstrators accused the BCL of attacking their peaceful protests with police backing, claiming the quota system hindered the enrollment of meritorious students in government services.

Protesters blockaded highways and railways in Dhaka, Rajshahi, Khulna, and Chattogram, leading to clashes with police who fired tear gas and rubber bullets. Rival student groups also clashed in Dhaka, causing severe traffic disruptions in the city of 20 million.

Dhaka University students led the protests, demanding talent-based recruitment for government jobs. They alleged that they were attacked by ruling party activists armed with sticks, rocks, machetes, and Molotov cocktails during peaceful demonstrations.

The current quota system reserves 30% of jobs for descendants of 1971 Liberation War veterans, 10% for administrative districts, 10% for women, 5% for ethnic minorities, and 1% for the physically handicapped. Every year, around 3,000 government jobs are available for nearly 400,000 graduates.

This protest marks the first significant demonstration against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government since her re-election in January. Hasina defended the quota system, stating that war veterans deserve the highest respect for their sacrifices in 1971 and criticized the protesters for opposing benefits for war veterans.

Dhaka slams US claims of deaths in student protests

Bangladesh has criticized the United States for making “unsubstantiated” claims regarding the ongoing student protests, with a government minister advising Washington to “look in the mirror” before commenting on democracy in other nations.

This rebuke came after US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller expressed concerns about the protests over government job quotas in Bangladesh.

On Monday, Miller voiced the US’s apprehensions during a department press briefing. “We are aware of and are monitoring reports of widespread student protests in Dhaka and across Bangladesh that have resulted in two deaths and hundreds of injuries.

The freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are essential building blocks of any thriving democracy, and we condemn any violence against peaceful protesters. Our thoughts are with those affected by this violence,” he stated in response to a query.

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