Bangladesh: Army Deployed After Student Protests Kill Over 100

Facts

• Bangladesh has imposed a curfew and deployed the army across the country after the week-long student protests against a government jobs quota left more than 130 people dead and injured over 300 police officers.¹
• This comes after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government ordered the nationwide shutdown of the country's mobile internet network, while police responded to protesters who violated a ban on public gatherings.²
• Protests first rocked Bangladesh over a fortnight ago after thousands of university students demanded an end to quotas that reserve 30% of government jobs for children of veterans who fought in the South Asian nation's 1971 war of independence.³
• Following a countrywide student protest in 2018, Hasina's government abolished the quotas. But after Bangladesh's High Court ordered the authorities to reinstate the system in June, it triggered renewed protests.⁴
• Last Wednesday, the country's Supreme Court suspended the High Court's order for a month and asked protesting students to return to the classrooms. However, the protests continued after Hasina defended the veterans' family quota, which the students claim is discriminatory.⁴
• Demonstrations intensified after Hasina refused to meet the protesters' demand and labeled them as 'razakar' — a term used for Bangladeshis who betrayed the country by allegedly collaborating with Pakistan during the 1971 war.⁵

Sources: ¹France 24, ²Reuters, ³Guardian, ⁴Associated Press and ⁵Al Jazeera.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by New York Times. The opposition is backing the violent, unruly protests for political gain. Bangladeshi freedom fighters deserve the highest respect for sacrificing their life and abandoning their dreams. The country must reward their sacrifice and ensure their descendants are always provided for. Moreover, the Bangladeshi economy has seen a steady growth rate, and the private sector is a significant employer, so the high unemployment rate is a lie. Students must present their arguments in court, not take the country for ransom.
• Narrative B, as provided by The Daily Star. Hasina's government has deployed riot police to quell students' fundamental right to protest peacefully instead of protecting them against threats or violence. Bangladeshi youth face high unemployment, yet Hasina wants to implement a discriminatory quota system that unfairly benefits her supporters. While the war heroes must be applauded for their role in the country's independence, their descendants shouldn't be granted endless undue advantages.