Two killed and thousands injured in crackdown on scholars’ protests in Bangladesh. bangladesh

At least two people died and thousands were injured after police fired tear gas into a crowd of protesting students, and paramilitary forces were deployed across the country.

The protests first broke out on university campuses across Bangladesh a fortnight ago, when thousands of students demanded an end to “unfair and discriminatory quotas” for government jobs.

The quota – which reserves 30% of jobs for members of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s sovereignty battle in 1971 – was abolished in 2018, but reinstated on that date following a court order.

The reintroduction of the quota has sparked outrage among scholars, who say the activity market in Bangladesh is already extremely challenging amid high unemployment, rampant inflation and a faltering economy. With the private sector declining, government jobs have become the most sought after and sought after jobs, but are very limited, with 50% of them allotted through quotas.

The latest decision on quota was put on hold by the Supreme Court until the last minute, but scholars said they will continue to protest until it is completely overturned. Many people blocked highways and railways and marched through police lines to demonstrate around the congested capital Dhaka.

On Monday night, the protests turned violent as police and heavily armed members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student wing of the ruling Awami League party, attacked the protesting students.

In Dhaka, police fired tear gas and batons on protesters on a day when pro-government teams attacked them with machetes, bamboo sticks and hockey sticks, leaving thousands injured. Paramilitary forces were additionally deployed across the country.

The violence escalated further on Tuesday as campuses across the country became battlefields, with at least two deaths confirmed by parents. Local media reported that 5 countries were killed.

In Rangpur city, Abu Saeed, a student involved in the protests, suffered devastating injuries on the day another man caught up in the Dhaka school violence died on arrival at hospital.

The situation was further aggravated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who referred to the scholars opposing the use of the derogatory term “Razakars”, meaning those who betrayed the public by siding with the enemy, Pakistan, during the war. . Sovereignty in 1971.

“If grandchildren of freedom fighters do not get quota benefits, should grandchildren of Razakars get it?” Haseena said.

Her remarks angered scholar protesters, who accused Hasina of authoritarianism. “We are not Razakars. If anyone fits that description in this context, it is the Prime Minister himself and his forces who are taking this country towards a dark age,” said Rakib., 17, a student of Dhaka Town School who participated in the protests.

Rakib emphasized that scholars were not at all opposed to quotas, especially for the underprivileged, but said that the wave system was “extremely unfair and discriminatory” and meant that some government jobs were given based on benefits.

He said, “We are fortunate to be born in a free country and are always grateful to the freedom fighters.” “Nevertheless, this does not justify giving their descendants endless, unfair benefits from generation to generation.”

Lamia, a student of Dhaka’s Birshrestha Munshi Abdur Rauf Population School, joined the protest without caring about the benefits her people would get from the gadget. “I am the granddaughter of a freedom fighter, yet I oppose the quota system,” she said.

“I support this movement because many of my friends, including many from lower to lower-middle class backgrounds, have striven for excellence in their education and aspire to serve the country. Students outside the quota categories are also no less patriotic or brilliant.”

Political analysts said the wave of protests was an immediate reaction to prolonged repression under the authoritarian rule of Hasina and her Awami League party, who have ruled continuously since 2009. In January, Hasina won a fifth term in power. The election, which was once documented as being massively rigged, resulted in thousands of political opponents being jailed.

Several protest scholars said that those from Hasina’s Awami League party, which was founded by her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman – who fought for sovereignty and was the country’s first prime minister – were the main beneficiaries of the quota for sovereignty fighter descendants.

Dhaka-based political analyst Zahid ur Rahman said frustration over rising inflation, blatant neglect of unemployment and a crackdown on general democratic freedoms under Hasina fueled the student protests.

“The Awami League had created an atmosphere of fear and silenced dissent through the power of the government machinery,” Rehman said. “However, this repression has now backfired and even teenage students are openly challenging the authorities.”

Amnesty Global was among those that condemned the attacks on scholars and called on authorities to respect “people’s rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.”

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the US was closely monitoring the protests. Miller said, “Freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are essential building blocks of any thriving democracy, and we condemn any violence against peaceful protesters.”