Bangladeshi students have called for new protests after the government ignored their demand to release detained leaders and apologize for deadly violence. Civil service job quota-related unrest has resulted in numerous arrests and internet outages.
The students announced new street protests for Monday after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government ignored their ultimatum. They wanted the release of their leaders and an apology for those killed in the violence.
Student protests against civil service job quotas this month led to days of violence, resulting in at least 205 deaths, including several police officers. These clashes were some of the worst during Hasina’s 15-year rule. Her government restored order by deploying troops, imposing a curfew, and shutting down the internet nationwide.
At least half a dozen leaders of the group Students Against Discrimination, which organized the initial protests, are among the thousands taken into police custody. “The government is showing complete insensitivity to our movement,” said Abdul Kader, a coordinator for the group, in a statement. He called for a nationwide protest rally, urging all Bangladeshi citizens to support their demands and join the movement.
The students had promised to resume protests if the police did not release their leaders by Sunday evening. They also demanded a public apology from Hasina for the violence, the dismissal of several ministers, and the reopening of schools and universities closed during the unrest.
According to Prothom Alo, Bangladesh’s largest newspaper, around 9,000 people have been arrested nationwide since the unrest began. Troops continue to patrol urban areas, and a nationwide curfew remains but has been gradually eased since last week. The mobile internet network was restored on Sunday, 11 days after a blackout, indicating the government’s confidence in controlling the situation.
Protests began this month over the reintroduction of a quota system reserving more than half of all government jobs for certain groups. With about 18 million young Bangladeshis unemployed, the move upset graduates facing a severe job crisis. Critics say the quota helps fill public jobs with ruling Awami League loyalists.
The Supreme Court reduced the number of reserved jobs last week but did not fully meet protesters’ demands to eliminate the quotas. Hasina, 76, has ruled Bangladesh since 2009 and won her fourth consecutive election in January without genuine opposition. Rights groups accuse her government of misusing state institutions to maintain power and suppress dissent, including the extrajudicial killing of opposition activists.
