Bangladesh student protest: Rally, deaths, nationwide shutdowns, and more

Explained: What is Bangladesh's new job quota and how student protests turned violent leading to nationwide school, university, and transport shutdowns

Starting Thursday, student protesters in Bangladesh have called for a nationwide shutdown of transportation and businesses to pressure Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to abolish the government’s job quota system. This move follows a week of escalating demonstrations, which turned violent and left the nation grappling with unrest.

Earlier, the Bangladeshi government also announced an indefinite closure of all public and private universities. The decision came after widespread protests against the controversial quota system in government jobs resulted in at least six fatalities and over 400 injuries.

This wave of demonstrations marks the first significant challenge to Prime Minister Hasina’s administration since she commenced her fourth consecutive term in January, following an election boycotted by the Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

Here is a closer look into the new job quota reform and how it has held to nationwide violent protests.

Government jobs in Bangladesh are highly coveted due to their stability and lucrative nature. Each year, nearly 400,000 graduates vie for approximately 3,000 positions.

What is the quota system for govt jobs in Bangladesh?

Until 2018, 56 per cent of these jobs were reserved for specific categories: 30 per cent for the descendants of 1971 Liberation War veterans, 10 per cent each for women and people from underdeveloped districts, 5 per cent for tribal communities, and 1 per cent for persons with disabilities. This left only 44 per cent of government job openings available for general applicants.

In April 2018, a four-month-long protest led by students and teachers demanded the abolition of these quotas and a reduction of overall reservation to 10 per cent.

The protests turned violent, with clashes involving the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student wing of the ruling Awami League, and police. Following significant national and international pressure, Prime Minister Hasina announced the removal of all quotas.

What is Bangladesh’s freedom fighter quota?

The freedom fighter’s quota was first introduced following Bangladesh’s independence. In 1977, the government extended this quota to include children of freedom fighters and in 2010, to include the grandchildren of freedom fighters.

Despite quotas being largely removed in 2018, last month, the High Court reinstated the quotas for veterans’ families, sparking fresh protests.

The June 5, 2024, ruling by the High Court Division of the Bangladesh Supreme Court overturned the 2018 order that had repealed all reservations, particularly the contentious 30 per cent freedom fighters’ quota.

Many perceived this as an attempt to favour those loyal to Prime Minister Hasina’s Awami League. Frustrations were further fuelled by special examinations for quota candidates, varying age limits, and numerous vacancies in quota seats, despite qualified candidates remaining unemployed.

What are protestors in Bangladesh demanding?

Students from Dhaka University spearheaded the protests, demanding recruitment in government jobs based on merit and reforms to the existing quota system.

Student protesters in Bangladesh are now demanding the removal of discriminatory quotas across all job grades, limiting overall reservation to 5 per cent for backward populations as identified in the constitution, and passing a bill in parliament to secure these changes.

Essentially, this would eliminate the quota benefiting the families of freedom fighters while retaining provisions for the physically disabled and tribal people.

Bangladesh quota protests turn violent: Six dead, 100 injured

The unrest began on June 5, 2024, when the High Court Division of the Bangladesh Supreme Court overturned a 2018 order cancelling the job quota.

Initial resistance began in Dhaka in June but escalated after Eid-ul-Adha festivities ended on June 17. By July 7, a country-wide Bangla Bandh had come into effect, even as the Supreme Court stayed the implementation of the order for a month.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina referred to the protestors as ‘razakars’, a derogatory term for traitors aligned with Pakistani forces during the liberation war, which further fuelled the students’ frustration.

On Monday, clashes between anti-quota protesters, the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL, the student wing of the ruling Awami League), and police erupted at various universities. The violence resulted in at least six deaths, including three students, prompting the indefinite closure of all educational institutions. The scheduled higher secondary certificate exam was also cancelled. Authorities deployed the Border Guard at various locations to manage the situation.