Students clash with riot police during a protest against a quota system for government jobs, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, July 18, 2024.
Rajib Dhar/AP
hide legend
toggle caption
Rajib Dhar/AP
DHAKA, Bangladesh — Police imposed a strict curfew with “shoot on sight” orders across Bangladesh as military forces patrolled parts of the capital Saturday after dozens of people were killed and hundreds injured in clashes over government job allocations.
The curfew began at midnight and was relaxed from noon to 2 p.m. so people could run essential errands, and is expected to last until 10 a.m. on Sunday, allowing police to fire on crowds in extreme cases, said lawmaker Obaidul Quader, general secretary of the ruling Awami League party.
The protests, called mainly by student groups, began weeks ago to protest a quota system that reserves up to 30 percent of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s 1971 independence war. Violence erupted Tuesday, with the Daily Prothom Alo newspaper reporting the deaths of at least 103 people.
Friday was probably the deadliest day yet. Somoy TV reported 43 dead, while an Associated Press reporter saw 23 bodies at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, but it was not yet clear whether all the protesters died Friday. On Thursday, another 22 people were reported dead as student protesters tried to “completely paralyze” the country.
The U.S. Embassy in Dhaka said Friday there were reports of “hundreds, if not thousands” of injuries in Bangladesh. It added that the situation was “extremely volatile.”
Bangladeshi authorities have not released official figures on the number of dead and injured.
Authorities said the curfew was aimed at stemming violence that erupted after police clashed with protesters on the streets and on university campuses in Dhaka and other cities across the country. Authorities blocked online communications by banning mobile and internet services. Several television channels also ceased operations and the websites of most local newspapers were shut down. Meanwhile, some key government websites, including those of the central bank of Bangladesh and the prime minister’s office, appear to have been hacked and defaced.
Local media also reported that some 800 inmates fled a prison in Narsingdi, a district north of the capital, after protesters stormed the facility and set it on fire on Friday.
The chaos highlights the flaws in Bangladesh’s governance and economy, as well as the frustration of young people who lack good jobs when they graduate. It also represents the biggest challenge for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina since she won a fourth consecutive term in January’s election, which was boycotted by major opposition groups.
Protesters say the quota system is discriminatory and favours supporters of Hasina, whose party, the Awami League, led the independence movement. They say it should be replaced with a merit-based system. Hasina has defended the quota system, saying veterans deserve the utmost respect for their contribution to the war against Pakistan, regardless of their political affiliation.
Representatives from both sides met Friday night to try to find a solution. At least three student leaders were present and demanded reform of the current quota system, the reopening of student residences closed by police after the clashes and the resignation of some university officials who have failed to protect campuses from violence. Justice Minister Anisul Huq said Friday night that the government was open to discussing their demands.
The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party has backed the protests, vowing on Friday to hold its own demonstrations, with many of its supporters joining the student protests. However, the BNP said in a statement that its supporters were not responsible for the violence and denied accusations by the ruling party that the protests were being used for political purposes.
The Awami League and the BNP have often accused each other of fuelling political chaos and violence, most recently in the run-up to national elections, which were marred by a crackdown on several opposition figures. Hasina’s government had accused the opposition party of trying to disrupt the polls.
In 2018, the government suspended hiring quotas following mass student protests. But in June, Bangladesh’s High Court overturned that decision and reinstated the quotas after relatives of 1971 veterans filed petitions. The Supreme Court stayed the decision, pending an appeal hearing, and said in a statement that it would consider the matter on Sunday.
Hasina called on the protesters to wait for the court’s verdict.
