Bangladesh: Students and police clash amid ongoing quota reform movement
In Bangladesh, the ongoing Quota Reform Movement became violent Wednesday afternoon when Police fired tear gas and sound grenades at protesting students of Dhaka University who brought out a coffin procession for six persons killed on Tuesday during the protest.
Students and teachers of public and private universities have been staging protests demanding quota reforms in government jobs since July 1. Six people were killed and scores were injured on Tuesday as students’ protests against the job quota across the country turned deadly amid alleged attacks by police and ruling party affiliated student organisations on protesters.
The protests started in response to a verdict by the High Court on 5 June 2024, which declared the 2018 government circular cancelling the 30% quota for freedom fighters’ descendants in government jobs, illegal. The circular was issued in the wake of the 2018 Bangladesh quota reform movement.
Meanwhile, the United Nations has urged the Bangladesh government to protect the protesting students demanding quota reforms in the government jobs against any form of threat or violence.
Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the secretary-general, at Tuesday noon briefing in New York said that the UN was very much aware of the situation, which they were following closely and with concern.
The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel have been deployed in Dhaka, Gazipur, Chattogram, Bogura, Rangpur and Rajshahi to maintain law and order situation amid the ongoing quota reform movement across the country.
The University Grants Commission of Bangladesh on Tuesday night said all public and private universities, its affiliated medical colleges and other institutions, will remain closed until further notice for the sake of students’ safety. Meanwhile, the Education Ministry has also announced the closure of all secondary and higher secondary educational institutions including polytechnic institutes until further notice.
The traffic movement in Dhaka became standstill on Tuesday morning as students demanding quota reform blocked different important points in the capital. The agitating students have blocked roads in Chattogram, Rangpur, Rajshahi and other cities of Bangladesh including highways in different parts of the country .The rail lines at several locations, including Dhaka’s Mohakhali have been blocked by the agitators, leading to a halt in train services.
The Law Minister of Bangladesh Anisul Huq on Tuesday said that the government will not take any steps regarding the quota reform issue bypassing the High Court. While the agitating students demand action from the government to reform the quota system in government jobs.
After the independence of Bangladesh, 30 percent of the jobs were reserved for freedom fighters. In 1997, the government extended the quota to children of freedom fighters. In 2010, it was further expanded to include the grandchildren of freedom fighters.
In 2018, following nationwide protests against this quota system, a government circular cancelled the quota system for first- and second-class jobs. However, on June 5, 2024, the High Court ruled on a writ petition filed by the descendant of a freedom fighter and six others. The HC said the 2018 circular was illegal, meaning quotas were re-established in government recruitment once more. The government has appealed this ruling.
By, Navalsang Parmar, Dhaka
