Student protests against quota system intensify in Bangladesh.According to foreign news agencies, the government of Bangladesh has imposed a nationwide curfew and called in the military to manage the escalating protests.
The office of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stated that the decision to impose the curfew and deploy the military was made to assist the civil administration.
It is notable that the number of deaths in student protests against the quota system in government jobs in Bangladesh has exceeded 100.
According to a foreign news agency, around 75 people were killed in protest demonstrations on Friday, with 52 fatalities occurring in Dhaka alone.
The news agency reported that at least 105 people have been killed in student protests this week.
Students have been protesting for several days against the 30% job quota in government jobs allocated to the children of those who fought in the 1971 war.
Clashes have been occurring between the protesting students and the police, as well as with the student wing of the ruling Awami League party.
The prime minister’s office stated that the decision to deploy the military was made to assist the civil administration.
In Bangladesh, 56% of government jobs are allocated under various quotas, with 30% reserved for the children of 1971 war veterans, 10% for women, and 10% for residents of specific districts.
The students are demanding that government jobs be allocated based on merit and that only the 6% quota for minorities and disabled individuals be maintained.
The quota system in government jobs was abolished in Bangladesh in 2018, leading to similar protests. Last month, the High Court reinstated the 30% quota for the children of 1971 war veterans, sparking the current wave of protests.
Meanwhile, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina referred to those protesting against the quota system as “Razakars.”It is noteworthy that in Bangladesh, the term “Razakar” is used for those who sided with the Pakistani army during the 1971 war.