Violent protests erupted in Bangladesh following the High Court’s decision to reinstate a controversial quota system, which allocates a third of government jobs to the descendants of freedom fighters. This system, abolished in 2018 after student and teacher protests, was reinstated, sparking massive demonstrations nationwide. The unrest, beginning on July 1, has claimed at least 30 lives, with thousands more injured. Some sources suggest the death toll may be as high as 39.
Protestors are demanding that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government abolish the policy reserving 30% of public sector positions for the relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s 1971 independence war against Pakistan. On Thursday, students stormed the Bangladesh Television Centre in Rampura, South Dhaka, setting the building and several vehicles on fire. The fire was still burning as of 4:20 pm, according to the Dhaka Tribune.
In response to the escalating unrest, the Indian government issued a travel advisory, and the US Embassy in Dhaka closed its doors on Thursday (July 18). Additionally, mobile internet and social media access were reportedly blocked for many users in Bangladesh, coinciding with the intense protests and violence surrounding the quota system controversy.
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