bangladesh riot Source-twitter
The police have enforced a strict curfew with a “shoot-on-sight” order across Bangladesh after 133 people were killed in nationwide protests. The clashes between police and university students started because of upcoming changes to civil service hiring rules, which the country’s top court is set to rule on this Sunday (July 21).
Soldiers were seen in parts of Dhaka on Saturday (July 20) as the protests grew into some of the worst seen under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Many citizens, not just students, are now demanding the government’s resignation. The military took control after riot police couldn’t stop the unrest, which began over politicized admission quotas for coveted government jobs. Since July 18, Bangladesh has been under an internet blackout, limiting information to the outside world.
The conflict is about the civil service jobs allocation system, which reserves over half of the jobs for specific groups, including children of veterans from the 1971 liberation war against Pakistan. Critics say these quotas mainly benefit those loyal to Hasina, who has been in power since 2009.
Something very serious is happening in Dhaka.
— Dhruv Rathee (@dhruv_rathee) August 6, 2018
Thousands of Students protested on streets for road safety and better roads. Govt got pissed and sent their goons to beat up & kill protestors
High chance that same thing could happen in India. We must support #Bangladesh students! pic.twitter.com/Qu0P6Ngo65
The quota system reserves up to 30% of government jobs for relatives of 1971 war veterans. This has caused resentment among the youth, who face a severe job shortage in a country struggling to provide enough employment for its 170 million people. The protests, mainly led by student groups, began weeks ago.
In 2018, the government stopped the quotas after mass student protests. But in June, Bangladesh’s High Court overturned that decision and reinstated the system after petitions from relatives of 1971 veterans. The Supreme Court has put that ruling on hold, pending an appeal hearing.
PLEASE SPREAD AWARENESS OF THE TRAGEDY HAPPENING IN BANGLADESH RIGHT NOW. STUDENTS ARE BEING ATTACKED AND KILLED. #WeWantJustice #Bangladesh #Dhaka pic.twitter.com/lwW1bc9lC6
— Sarah Maria (@saarahmaaria) August 5, 2018
