The death toll from student protests against the quota system in government jobs in Bangladesh has surpassed 100.
According to a foreign news agency, approximately 75 people were killed in protests on Friday alone, with 52 deaths occurring in Dhaka city.
The news agency reported that at least 105 people have been killed during the student protests this week.
Today, protesting students attacked the central jail in the Narsingdi district of central Bangladesh, releasing prisoners and setting the jail on fire.
Police sources say that the number of prisoners released is in the hundreds.
Hospital sources have indicated that more than half of those killed this week died from police gunfire.
In Bangladesh, protests by students against the quota system have been ongoing for several days.
Clashes have occurred between students opposing the quota system and the student wing of the ruling party, the Awami League.
In Bangladesh, 56% of government jobs are allocated through a quota system, of which 30% are reserved for children of those who fought in the 1971 war, 10% for women, and 10% for residents of specific districts.
Students are demanding that government jobs be awarded on merit and that only the 6% quota reserved for minorities and disabled individuals be maintained.
The quota system in government jobs in Bangladesh was abolished in 2018, which led to similar protests.
Last month, the High Court reinstated the 30% quota for children of those who fought in the 1971 war, sparking renewed protests.
Meanwhile, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has labeled those protesting against the quota system as ‘razakars.’
It is worth noting that the term ‘razakars’ in Bangladesh refers to those who supported the Pakistani army during the 1971 war.
To suppress the student protests, there has been an internet blackout in Bangladesh.
NetBlocks, an organization that monitors internet shutdowns, reported on Friday that the internet has been shut down across Bangladesh for the second consecutive day.