Bangladeshi students have announced new street protests scheduled for Monday after the government, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, ignored their ultimatum to release detained leaders and apologize for deadly violence. This unrest, initially ignited by civil service job quotas, has resulted in widespread arrests and internet shutdowns across the nation.
Earlier this month, student rallies against the reintroduction of quotas in civil service jobs led to days of violence. According to an AFP count based on police and hospital data, at least 205 people, including several police officers, lost their lives in these clashes. These incidents represent some of the most severe unrest during Hasina's 15-year tenure. In response, the government has largely restored order by deploying troops, imposing a curfew, and implementing a nationwide internet shutdown.
At least half a dozen leaders from Students Against Discrimination, the group that organized the initial protests, are among the thousands detained by police. Abdul Kader, a coordinator for the group, expressed frustration in a statement, saying, "The government is continuing to show complete and utter insensitivity to our movement." He called for a nationwide protest rally, urging all citizens to join their cause.
Students Against Discrimination leaders had initially placed a week-long moratorium on new demonstrations, demanding the release of their leaders by Sunday evening. Their demands also include a public apology from Hasina for the violence, the dismissal of several ministers, and the reopening of schools and universities closed during the unrest.
Prothom Alo, Bangladesh's largest daily newspaper, reported that around 9,000 people have been arrested since the unrest began. Although troops continue to patrol urban areas and a nationwide curfew is still in place, it has been progressively eased since last week. The mobile internet network, shut down at the height of the unrest, was restored on Sunday, signaling the government's confidence in its control over the situation.
The protests began due to the reintroduction of a quota scheme reserving more than half of all government jobs for certain groups. This move deeply upset graduates, as around 18 million young Bangladeshis are currently out of work, according to government figures. Critics argue that the quota system is used to fill public jobs with loyalists to the ruling Awami League.
Last week, the Supreme Court reduced the number of reserved jobs but did not fully meet the protesters' demands to eliminate the quotas. Hasina, who has ruled Bangladesh since 2009 and won her fourth consecutive election in January, is accused by rights groups of misusing state institutions to maintain her grip on power and suppress dissent, including through the extrajudicial killing of opposition activists.
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