Police use tear gas to disperse students protesting against the public service quota system in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Thursday, July 18, 2024. (AP Photo)
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government announced a nationwide curfew late Friday in response to escalating protests over government job allocations. The decision, made by Obaidul Quader, general secretary of the ruling Awami League party, followed deadly clashes where police and security forces fired on demonstrators, resulting in several fatalities. To maintain order, military forces have been deployed across the country.
The protests, which have been ongoing for weeks, intensified this week and now represent the biggest challenge to Hasina's leadership since her re-election in January. The opposition boycotted those elections, adding to the current unrest. Reports on the death toll vary, with Independent Television citing 17 deaths, Somoy TV reporting 30, and an Associated Press reporter counting 23 bodies at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital.
On Thursday, local media reported that 22 people were killed, marking the bloodiest day of the protests so far. Students attempting to enforce a nationwide shutdown clashed with police, who responded with force. Authorities could not immediately confirm the death toll.
The turmoil underscores issues in Bangladesh's governance and economy, highlighting the frustration of young graduates facing a shortage of good jobs. The government has deployed police and paramilitary forces to control the protests, particularly in the capital, Dhaka, where universities have suspended classes and closed dormitories. Police have banned all gatherings and demonstrations in the city.
An Associated Press reporter witnessed border guard officials firing at over 1,000 protesters outside the state-run Bangladesh Television headquarters, which had been attacked and set on fire the previous day. The guards used rifles and sound grenades, while police fired tear gas and rubber bullets, leaving the streets littered with bullets and blood.
Students clash with riot police over government job quotas in Dhaka, Bangladesh on July 18, 2024. (AP Photo)
Internet services and mobile data were widely disrupted, coinciding with a global internet outage. The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission stated that their data center was attacked by demonstrators who set equipment on fire, though this could not be independently verified by the Associated Press.
Student protesters plan to continue their shutdown efforts and have urged mosques to hold funeral prayers for those killed. Major universities will remain closed until the situation stabilizes. The protesters are demanding an end to a quota system that reserves up to 30% of government jobs for relatives of veterans from the 1971 independence war against Pakistan. They argue that this system is unfair and favors supporters of Prime Minister Hasina's Awami League party, calling for a merit-based system instead.
Hasina has defended the quota system, emphasizing the respect owed to veterans for their contributions. Despite bringing stable growth to Bangladesh, rising inflation and labor unrest have fueled dissatisfaction with her government. Each year, around 400,000 graduates compete for approximately 3,000 civil service jobs, making government positions highly coveted but scarce.
Students protesting for quota reform in public service held a mock funeral at Dhaka University on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, to honor those who died in clashes. (AP Photo)
Freedom of speech advocate Saad Hammadi criticized the government's handling of the protests, stating that peaceful demonstrations should not devolve into chaos. The internet shutdown, he added, exacerbates the situation by cutting off communication and access to local news.
Bangladesh has a history of using internet shutdowns to suppress dissent, particularly during opposition rallies. CIVICUS, a nonprofit monitoring civic freedoms, downgraded Bangladesh's rating to "closed" last year, citing a crackdown on opposition members. The main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has supported the student protests and vowed to organize its own demonstrations. On Friday, police fired tear gas at BNP supporters and arrested senior leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi.
In 2018, mass student protests led to a temporary halt of the job quotas. However, last month, Bangladesh's High Court reinstated the quotas after petitions from relatives of 1971 veterans, sparking the current demonstrations. The Supreme Court has suspended this ruling pending an appeal and will address the issue on Sunday. Hasina, in a televised address, urged protesters to be patient and expressed confidence that the court would deliver justice.
