There has been a surge of unrest in Bangladesh that has resulted in multiple fatalities and injuries in hundreds of individuals, following confrontations between student demonstrators and law enforcement agencies along with activists from the ruling party. The agitation initially arose from students’ plea to abolish a quota mechanism that allocated 30 percent of government job opportunities to veterans’ kin. However, the protests took a violent turn leading to over 200 casualties in July alone.
As per the primary Bengali daily, Prothom Alo, violence on a single Sunday led to a minimum of 49 fatalities whereas Channel 24 reported at least 50 deaths. The escalating tension has now fuelled demands for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation.
In light of these events, the authorities announced the closure of schools and universities across the nation, enacted an Internet blackout, and enforced a curfew with instructions of shoot-on-sight. Recent weeks have seen the arrest of 11,000 people approx.
Calling for a mass movement of non-compliance, the protestors requested people to refrain from tax payments, utility bill payments, and work on Sundays, which is a regular business day in Bangladesh. Although offices and manufacturing units resumed work, the people commuting to Dhaka and other urban regions faced difficulties. Ensuing this, numerous members of the incumbent Awami League party and its allies carried out counter-protests intensifying the possibility of more violent encounters.
Violence broke out in various parts of Dhaka, with protestors attacking the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University and setting several vehicles on fire. Local law enforcement had to resort to tear gas to disperse the crowds. Reports also claim energised protestors vandalised public establishments and targeted residences, leading to hundreds of party activists establishing vigilance. The situation took a turn for the worse with gunfires and homemade explosive devices being detonated in the area. As per witness reports, a minimum of 20 individuals ended up injured by the bullets.
Jamuna TV illustrated fierce confrontations breaking out in more than twelve districts including Bogura, Magura, Rangpur, and Sirajganj. It appears that these protests are being fueled by the major opposing party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, as they clash with the law enforcement and activists from the ruling party.
Mohammad Ali Arafat, the under-secretary for information and broadcasting, said that the government had shut down mobile internet and messaging services in an attempt to reduce violence. Additionally, the authorities declared a public holiday from Monday to Wednesday and courts are to remain shut for an unknown duration.
Public unrest precipitated last month when students staged a protest against a preferential hiring system that guaranteed 30% of government employment to progeny of freedom fighters from Bangladesh’s 1971 war against Pakistan. With the ascension of violence, the supreme court reduced this quota to 5%, allocating only 3% to descendants of war veterans. However, these changes failed to placate demonstrators who still felt they were subjected to undue government force, which they perceive as the root cause of continuing violence.
The quota reforms also impacted figures allocated to ethnic minority groups as well as disabled and transgender individuals, with a substantial cut from 26% to 2% in reservations. The ruling government, under the leadership of Ms Hasina, attributes the spike in violence to the provocations from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the now illegal right-wing Jamaat-e-Islami party, including their student affiliates. Instances of arson and vandalism targeted towards state-owned facilities have also been observed.
Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the secretary general of the primary opposition faction, issued a repeat appeal for the resignation of the ruling regime as a means to quell the spreading disorder. Ms Hasina extended an olive branch for dialogue to student leaders on Saturday, only to be declined; the coordinator instead demanded her outright resignation.
Despite this, Ms Hasina maintains her commitment to conduct an in-depth inquiry into the fatalities incited by the violence and ensure responsible culprits face justice. She reassured that she is prepared to engage in dialogue at any time the protesters agree.
The ongoing protests mark a significant obstacle for Ms. Hasina, who has overseen the country for an extensive more-than-15-year period, and was reinstated for a fourth consecutive term this January, despite her primary rivals boycotting the election.