This Thursday, protesters in Bangladesh made good on their promise to bring the country to a standstill. Gathering in the streets of several cities, they aimed to block major road and rail routes. However, what began as a demonstration quickly turned violent as students were met with aggressive force from the authorities.
“The police sprayed us with tear gas without any reason,” said one protester in Dhaka, the capital. Local media reports indicate that dozens of people have lost their lives in these clashes. Additionally, there are reports of protesters setting fire to the offices of a television station.
For weeks, students have been rallying against a public sector hiring quota system that they claim unfairly benefits allies of the ruling party. The issue has struck a chord in Bangladesh, where youth unemployment is alarmingly high: nearly one-fifth of the 170 million population are without jobs or education. “How can the government carry out these attacks? We have been saying from the beginning that we are just students,” one protester remarked. “50% of jobs cannot be given by quotas; it’s just common sense.”
The situation has been escalating, with six people already reported dead in clashes earlier this week. In an attempt to diffuse the tension, the government ordered the closure of schools and universities nationwide and imposed internet outages.
“The biggest problem is that we can’t move anywhere. Public transportation has been shut down. If we can’t move, how can we continue to live properly?” questioned a frustrated businessman.
On Wednesday, the Prime Minister condemned the killings that have occurred during the protests and promised to investigate the unintended incidents. However, her statements have done little to calm the situation, with tensions remaining high across the country.
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