In Bangladesh, the government has imposed a curfew and deployed military forces in response to ongoing violent protests that have resulted in at least 105 deaths. The unrest, which began over dissatisfaction with the 56% quota system in public jobs, escalated when student demonstrators clashed with police. The protests have been marked by severe violence, including the storming and burning of a prison in Narsingdi and attacks on police and government facilities in Dhaka.
The capital, Dhaka, has witnessed the majority of the violence, with 52 deaths reported in the city alone. The police’s inability to control the situation led to the government’s decision to call in the military. The UN human rights chief condemned the violence against student protesters as “shocking and unacceptable,” highlighting the severity of the crackdown.
This crisis poses a significant challenge to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government, which has been in power for 15 years. In an effort to quell the unrest, all educational institutions across the country have been closed, and public gatherings have been banned in Dhaka to prevent further violence.
The protests were initially sparked by grievances over the quota system, which allocates 30% of public job quotas to descendants of those who participated in Bangladesh’s 1971 war of liberation. This system has long been a point of contention among the populace, particularly among students who feel disadvantaged by it.
