A university student was killed and dozens of others were hurt on Tuesday ( 16 July ) in northern Bangladesh, according to police, as they fired tear gas and rubber bullets at students who were protesting a quota system for government jobs for a second day.
After more than 100 people were hurt on Monday, tens of thousands of kids took part in the global demonstrations. In some places, including the capital Dhaka, there were also conflicts between protesters and students dedicated to the ruling party as individuals blocked major thoroughfares and road links.
Since Sheikh Hasina won a third consecutive term in January, there have been significant protests against the state of prime minister.
The protesters are angry over open sector employment restrictions, including a 30 per cent limit for home users of freedom soldiers from the 1971 War of Independence, amid great youth unemployment.
In an effort to prevent any incidents, thousands of mob police fanned out at college campuses across the nation. In Rangpur in northern Bangladesh, they used tear gas and rubber bullets to tear up the protests, authorities said.
According to Rangpur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mohammad Moniruzzaman,” We had to use teargas and rubber bullets to disperse the rebellious individuals who were hurling gemstones at us.”
A protesting scholar died after being taken to the hospital, we learned. It was not immediately apparent how he died”, he said.
JOBS
Stagnant career development in Bangladesh’s private industry has made state jobs, which offer standard wage hikes and other privileges, more interesting, said Mohammad Abdur Razzaque, chairman of Research and Policy Integration for Development.
In Bangladesh, 56 per cent of government jobs are reserved for various quotas. Women have a 10 per cent reservation, 10 per cent is for people from underdeveloped districts, 5 per cent for indigenous communities and 1 per cent for people with disabilities.
When thousands of anti-quota protesters clashed with students from the Awami League party’s ruling student movement, violence broke out on Monday.
According to Nahid Islam, the organizer of the anti-quota protests, protesters have planned additional marches and rallies across the country, and demonstrations will continue until their demands are met.
Police were heavily armed with wooden sticks, protective vests, and helmets, as seen on TV footage outside the campus of Dhaka University.
Protests started earlier this month when the High Court mandated that the government reinstate the 30 % job quota.
After Hasina refused to comply with the students ‘ demands, the Supreme Court suspended the order for a month last week, sparking ongoing legal proceedings. Protests continued and intensified.
More protests erupted after Hasina described those opposed to the quota as “razakar,” a term used to describe those accused of working with the Pakistani army during the 1971 war.
Employment in the sector decreased between 2017 and 2023, according to Razzaque, citing official statistics, despite manufacturing production increasing by an average of 10 per cent annually since 2011.
” Additionally, youth unemployment is high, with nearly 32 million young people not in education, employment, or training”, Razzaque added.