New Wave of Violence in Bangladesh Leaves Over 90 Dead and Hundreds Injured

Reports indicate that during a new wave of protests against the government in various regions of Bangladesh, at least 91 people have been killed and hundreds injured. On Sunday, August 14, police used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse tens of thousands of protesters demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The number of fatalities, including at least 13 police officers, marks the highest daily death toll during protests in contemporary Bangladesh. The previous record was on July 19 of this year, when 67 people were killed during student protests calling for the cancellation of quotas for government jobs. On Sunday, the government announced an indefinite curfew across the country starting at 6 PM. The protesters are primarily demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her government supporters. According to the Associated Press, on Sunday, police clashed with protesters in the streets, resulting in dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries. Reports from Jamuna TV show that violent clashes occurred in over a dozen areas, including Chattogram, Bogura, Magura, Rangpur, Kishoreganj, and Sirajganj, where protesters clashed with police and activists of the ruling party, the Awami League, with support from the main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. As violence escalated, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stated that those participating in 'vandalism' under the guise of protests are not students but criminals, adding, 'People must deal with them with an iron fist.' The ruling Awami League party has claimed that calls for Sheikh Hasina's resignation indicate that the protests are organized by the main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, and the banned Jamaat-e-Islami party. The government announced that Monday through Wednesday would be public holidays, and courts would remain closed indefinitely. Mobile internet was cut off on Sunday, and Facebook and messaging apps, including WhatsApp, were inaccessible even with fixed internet. Mohammad Ali Arafat, the Deputy Minister of Information and Broadcasting, stated that mobile internet and messaging services were cut off to help prevent violence. The Bangladeshi government has also implemented measures to counter protests, such as closing schools and universities nationwide, imposing restrictions like cutting off internet access, and enforcing martial law with shoot-to-kill orders for security forces. Protesters called for a 'non-cooperation' movement, urging people not to pay taxes and utility bills and to refrain from going to work on Sunday, which is a working day in Bangladesh. On this day, offices, banks, and factories were open, but commuters in Dhaka, the capital, and other cities faced difficulties reaching their workplaces. Videos from the Sunday clashes show protesters destroying a prison van at the Dhaka court. Other videos show police attacking protesters with live fire, tear gas, and rubber bullets. Protesters also set fire to vehicles and offices of the ruling party. According to images broadcast on television, some of these protesters carried sharp weapons and sticks. In recent weeks, at least 11,000 people have been arrested in connection with these protests. Student protests in Bangladesh began over a month ago and continue. This deadly protest, which arose in opposition to new quotas for government job recruitment, has now become a significant challenge for the government. These quotas prioritize the hiring of women, individuals from underdeveloped areas, and other marginalized groups, but the most controversial aspect of these laws is the allocation of 30 percent of positions to the children of victims of the Bangladesh Liberation War against Pakistan in 1971. These laws were introduced in 1972 by Bangladesh's independence leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and were revised in 2018 under pressure from student protests. However, in June, the Bangladeshi Supreme Court annulled these reforms and ordered the government to reinstate the quota for government jobs allocated to the relatives of veterans. The Bangladeshi media reported on July 31 that the Supreme Court had annulled most of the government job quotas that led to the deadly protests. Nevertheless, a new wave of protests has begun. With its large population, Bangladesh faces a crisis of unemployment, especially among university graduates. Protesters claim that the government is trying to employ loyalists of the ruling party through the imposition of quotas for government jobs under these conditions. Government jobs are stable and lifelong employment. Students say the government is abusing the quota system. Protesters want this system to be significantly adjusted to apply only to ethnic minorities and people with disabilities. They argue that about 94 percent of the remaining job opportunities should be allocated to those selected based on ability and merit. The current government led by Sheikh Hasina, who has been Prime Minister since 2009, along with members and supporters of her party, the Awami League, often targets independent and critical journalists with physical violence, while also launching legal harassment campaigns to silence some journalists or force media outlets to shut down.