INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
killed more than 100 people.On Sunday afternoon the supreme court overturned a ruling that had reintroduced quotas for all civil service
jobs, meaning that 30% were reserved for veterans and relatives of those who fought in the Bangladesh war of independence in 1971.The
supreme court ruling, which was brought forward in light of the protests, stipulated that only 5% of jobs would now be reserved for
descendants of freedom fighters and another 2% for those from ethnic minorities or with disabilities, with the rest open to candidates based
on merit.The return of the quotas, which had been scrapped in 2018, sparked anger among students, who argued they were unjust at a time of
economic decline and unfairly benefited those in the ruling Awami League party, which was founded by those who fought in the independence
war.Peaceful demonstrations initially broke out on university campuses across the country as students mobilised through social media to
demand an end to the quotas
However, the unrest turned violent last week as pro-government groups were accused of attacking the protesters with weapons and riot police
used rubber bullets and teargas to break up protests.Protesters hit back at police with bricks and stones in clashes across the country and
stormed the headquarters of the state broadcaster in Dhaka, setting it alight
In another city, protesters broke into a prison and released hundreds of inmates.The clashes between pro-government forces and protesters
have left thousands injured and killed about 150, though the government has refused to release official data on the death toll
Witnesses have alleged that police violence is responsible for a large number of the fatalities.The government has also imposed a
communications blackout, with the internet shut down and phone lines widely jammed
At least 70 leaders of the political opposition and several student leaders and activists have also been arrested, accused of stirring up
unrest.As the court ruling was given on Sunday, the country remained under a strict indefinite curfew, with people banned from leaving their
homes and gathering in any capacity
personnel and tanks patrolling the streets and army helicopters flying low over the city
While the roads were largely deserted, protests continued in some quarters of the capital.Student organisers said the supreme court ruling
did not mean the end of the protests, which have escalated into the greatest challenge in years to the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, with
many calling for her resignation
Hasina, who has been in office since 2009, has been accused of authoritarianism and rampant corruption and her re-election in January was
widely documented as rigged.Mahfuzul Hasan, a protest coordinator from Jahangirnagar University, said they still had several demands that
Hasan said student groups were also calling for the removal of vice-chancellors of universities where protesters faced violence, and
politicians who spread inflammatory remarks about the protesters.skip past newsletter promotionOur morning email breaks down the key stories
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We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.after newsletter promotionHe said he
Abu Sayeed, a final year English student who killed in the protests on Thursday, allegedly by the police
A video of Sayeed being fired at by police during a protest at a university in the city of Rangpur had gone viral on social media before the
government shut down the internet
been the only one in the family to make it to university
This article first appeared/also appeared in theguardian.com
