Once again there is chaos on the streets in Bangladesh. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has ignored the ultimatum of apologising, after which the students have erupted in anger and have come out on the streets at many places against the government. Local students are demanding the release of their leaders. The government had arrested the protesting student leaders and sent them to jail.
The students had given an ultimatum to the government to apologize for the unrest in the country, which was ignored by the government and the students started protesting again. Earlier on Monday, the Bangladesh government admitted for the first time that about 150 people have been killed across the country in the unrest. The government has declared nationwide mourning.
Army called to suppress protests
Recently violence broke out in Bangladesh and the government called in the army to suppress protests against job quotas. Protests began in universities and colleges earlier this month and then turned into a broader movement against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her government. Several thousand people, including policemen, have been injured in the unrest and major government establishments have been damaged.
Nationwide mourning will be observed
Cabinet Secretary Mehboob Hussain said in a media briefing after the meeting chaired by PM Hasina, the government has decided that nationwide mourning will be observed tomorrow (Tuesday). He has urged people to wear black badges. He said that mosques, temples, pagodas and churches across the country have also been requested to pray for the departed souls and the injured.
Hussain said that Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal presented a report about the situation in the meeting and confirmed the death of 150 people in the clashes across the country. This information came to light when military and paramilitary forces came to patrol the streets of the capital Dhaka. Police are also keeping a strict vigil. In fact, a group of protesting students has again called for a protest. The protesters said that our leaders have been taken into police custody under pressure.
What are the demands of the students?
Students staged sporadic protests on the streets, but were quickly dispersed by police in some parts of the capital and elsewhere. The student says that the Prime Minister should apologize publicly for the unrest. Many of his ministers should be dismissed and schools and universities across the country should be reopened. Due to the unrest, schools, colleges and universities have been closed indefinitely.
What order did the Supreme Court give?
Amid violent protests, on July 21, the Supreme Court of Bangladesh canceled the High Court’s decision to maintain the quota system in government jobs. However, the apex court did not completely abolish this system of reservation. Attorney General AM Aminuddin said that the Supreme Court has considered the High Court’s order to maintain the quota system as ‘illegal’. He said, ‘In its decision, the apex court ordered to fill 93 percent posts in government jobs on the basis of merit. At the same time, only 7 percent posts were asked to be reserved for descendants of freedom fighters of 1971 liberation war and other categories. Under the quota system now running in Bangladesh, 56 percent of government jobs were reserved. Of these, 30 percent were reserved for descendants of fighters of the 1971 liberation war, 10 percent for backward administrative districts, 10 percent for women, 5 percent for ethnic minority groups and 1 percent for people with disabilities. Students are agitating against the 30 percent reservation given to the descendants of freedom fighters. Let us tell you that every year only about 3 thousand government jobs are created in Bangladesh, for which about 4 lakh candidates apply.
Why did students take to the streets?
In the year 2018, there was a violent student movement in Bangladesh against this quota system. Sheikh Hasina government then decided to suspend the quota system. The descendants of the liberation war freedom fighters had challenged this decision of the government in the High Court. Last month, the High Court had canceled the decision of Sheikh Hasina government and ruled to retain the quota system. After this decision of the court, violent protests started all over Bangladesh. The protesters damaged public properties, set fire to buses and trains. The situation became so out of control that Hasina government had to send army on the streets.
Mobile internet services were suspended and curfew imposed in Bangladesh on 17 July. The government called in the army to assist the police and the paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) to suppress the protests. According to media reports, more than 200 people have died across the country. The widely circulated ‘Prothom Alo’ newspaper cited 210 deaths, including 113 children. The newspaper said at least 9,000 people have been arrested across the country since the beginning of the unrest.
Mobile internet services restored
Bangladeshi authorities said they had shut down mobile internet and major social media platforms 10 days ago. Now internet services have been restored in the country. After the protests ended, the situation has become normal. 4G mobile internet services resumed on Sunday, hours after the announcement by state Telecom and Information Communication Technology Minister Junaid Ahmed Palak. However, social media platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube will remain banned.