Anti-Quota Protest News: At least 18 more people died in Bangladesh on Thursday as violence broke out in the capital Dhaka and other places during a student protest. With this, the death toll has risen to 25 since the protests began. University students across the country are protesting demanding reforms in the reservation system for government jobs. Let us know the ten big updates
1-More than 2500 injured
The newspaper ‘The Daily Star’ said, ‘At least 18 people were killed and more than 2,500 people were injured in clashes across the country today between protesters and law enforcement agencies and people of the ruling party.’
Private Somoy Television channel said that the police continued to use rubber bullets, tear gas and sound grenades to disperse the protesters.
After several days of demonstrations and violent clashes that left people dead, protesters vowed to impose a ‘complete shutdown’ in the country last night.
2-Most of the dead are students
Major clashes between protesters and police took place in the Uttara area of the capital where several private universities are located. Authorities did not immediately release the identity of the deceased, but reports suggest that most of the dead are students. Earlier, six people were killed on Tuesday.
3-Siege of government television building
Eyewitnesses said protesters laid siege to the government Bangladesh Television building in Dhaka’s Rampura area. A part of it was damaged and several vehicles parked there were set on fire. This trapped many employees, including journalists, there.
4-Metro-rail-internet shut down in Dhaka
Due to the increasing violence, authorities had to shut down railway services to and from Dhaka as well as metro rail inside the capital from Thursday afternoon. The government ordered the shutdown of mobile internet networks to thwart the protesters, the official BSS news agency reported.
5-Paramilitary forces deployed across the country
The government has deployed paramilitary force ‘Border Guard Bangladesh’ personnel across the country, including the capital, to maintain law and order.
6-Employees asked to work from home
Many offices asked their employees to work from home. Government offices and banks remained open in the country as paramilitary forces ‘Border Guard Bangladesh’ (BGB), anti-riot police and elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) were deployed on the streets in Dhaka and other major cities, but attendance was low due to limited transport.
7-Bus service remained closed in many parts of the country
Bus services between Dhaka and the rest of the country also remained closed and people remained indoors. Limited entry points were open in local markets and shopping malls. Some roadside shops were seen open, while others remained closed.
8- Government ready to talk to students
Law Minister Anisul Haque said that the government has decided to hold a meeting with the protesting students for talks. He said, ‘Whenever they agree, we will hold a meeting.’
The Law Minister said that as promised by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday, a judicial inquiry committee was formed on Thursday under the leadership of High Court Judge Khondkar Diliruzzaman to investigate the violence.
9- Protesters made serious allegations against the student wing of the ruling party
The main group of students involved in the protests, ‘Students Against Discrimination’, said that the Prime Minister’s words are insincere and ‘do not reflect the killings and destruction done by his party workers.’ The protesters accused the Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of the ruling party, of attacking their ‘peaceful protest’ with the support of the police.
10-What is the demand of the protesting students
University students in Dhaka and other cities have been protesting for several days against the system of reserving some government jobs for relatives of war heroes who fought for the country’s independence from Pakistan in 1971.
Under the current reservation system, 56 percent of government jobs are reserved, of which 30 percent are reserved for descendants of freedom fighters of the 1971 Liberation War, 10 percent for backward administrative districts, 10 percent for women, five percent for ethnic minority groups and one percent for the disabled.
The protesters are supporting a six percent quota for people with disabilities and ethnic groups, but they are against reservation for descendants of heroes of the freedom struggle.
The system was suspended in 2018, prompting similar protests at the time. But, last month the Bangladesh High Court ordered the restoration of a 30 percent quota for family members of heroes who fought in the freedom struggle. This triggered fresh protests.
Last week, the Supreme Court stayed the High Court order for four weeks. The Chief Justice asked the protesters to end the protest and return to their classes.
The Supreme Court has said that it will decide on the issue after four weeks. Despite this, the protests continue.
