Dhaka: At least 32 people have died and more than 2,500 have been injured as violence intensified during student protests demanding reforms to the quota system for government jobs in Bangladesh.
The situation worsened on Thursday when students set the national broadcaster ablaze, following an attempt by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to address the nation and de-escalate tensions the previous day.
For weeks, university students in Dhaka and other cities have been rallying against the reservation system in public sector employment, which includes quotas for the descendants of 1971 war veterans.
The catalyst for the protests was the reinstatement of the quota system by the Bangladesh High Court last month, reversing a 2018 decision by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government to abolish it. The Supreme Court later suspended this order pending a government appeal, with a hearing set for August 7.
The protests grew violent when Sheikh Hasina declined to fulfil the students’ demands, citing ongoing legal proceedings.
This week, confrontations between anti-quota protesters and the student wing of Hasina’s Awami League-led to further violence. Police used rubber bullets, tear gas, and noise grenades in failed attempts to disperse the crowds.
The unrest led to the closure of metro and railway services in and out of Dhaka from Thursday afternoon. Additionally, the government shut down mobile internet services in various regions, resulting in what Netblocks described as a “near-total internet shutdown.”
Furthermore, Indian nationals in Bangladesh have been advised to avoid travel due to the protests.
Earlier on Thursday, access to the Bangladesh police website was also disrupted.