Police and student activists in Bangladesh have been engaged in fierce clashes for over three weeks. The agitation is the aftermath of a quota system in Govt jobs. It confirms 30% job reservation for the descendants of freedom fighters of the 1971 Liberation War. Along with demonstrators coming to the streets daily despite an increasingly violent crackdown by authorities. It resulted in a rapid rise in the death and injury toll. The Awami League administration imposed a citywide curfew on Friday after police and security officials barred all forms of meetings in the capital, Dhaka.
Thirteen people were murdered. As hundreds of students armed with sticks and rocks battled with armed police in Dhaka on Thursday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also said that military personnel will be sent to assist the civilian administration in maintaining order. Since Thursday, the public has come out in large numbers to demonstrate solidarity with the protesting students. Several public organizations were discovered offering free food and drink to them.
According to the quota policy, at least 30% of the country’s civil sector employment is designated for the offspring and grandchildren of “freedom fighters.” Those who fought against Pakistan during Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War. This came as a setback to students in a country where millions of university graduates remain unemployed for years.
A 21-year-old University of Dhaka student begged not to be identified for security reasons. The student stated that the demonstrators’ demands began with a desire for “a fair system” of employment allocation in the country.
“We wanted a revised quota structure, as currently 56% of government jobs are based on reservations,” he informed us. “While it is understandable that young freedom fighters sacrificed a lot. And are therefore benefited by the quota system; it is ridiculous to give the same quota to the grandchildren of freedom fighters.”
At least 19 students were killed on Thursday, according to the country’s local newspapers. Several student activists told VOA that the actual number that day could have been up to 50. On Thursday, some high school kids joined the demonstration, which was previously limited to university and college students. Tahmid Tamim, a ninth-grade student, was murdered by a bullet fired by a police officer, the national media reported.