Massive protests broke out in Bangladesh on Tuesday afternoon as students across the nation called for the scrapping of the reservation of government jobs for children of war heroes. The protests, which turned violent, killed at least six students and brought an indefinite closure to all schools and colleges in the nation.
Thousands of students across the country defied calls from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the Supreme Court and took to the streets to demand the scrapping of the veterans quota in government jobs.
Schools, Colleges Shut 'Indefinitely', 6 Students Killed - What's Happening In Bangladesh?
As per a spokesperson from the Education Ministry, the government has issued a mandate for all schools to remain shut until further notice for the "Security of students". The order was then later extended to colleges and universities in the country.
University and college students have been conducting rallies regarding the scrapping of this quota for several days. However on Tuesday, the rallies took a violent turn.
Protestors were hit with tear gas shells, bricks were hurled and stones were pelted as thousands of students took to the streets of Bangladesh. The unrest and clashes brought several injuries and killed at least six students.
As per reports, three students were killed in Chittagong due to suspected bullet injuries. In Dhaka, two students were killed amid clashes between rival groups and in Rangpur, a student died during clashes with the police.
What Is The Quota System In Bangladesh?
For years, college students have been protesting against the reservation system for government jobs, especially for the children of war quota.
Under this quota, 30 percent of seats in all government jobs are reserved for the children of veterans who fought for the country’s independence from Pakistan in 1971.
The current Bangladesh reservation system for recruitment is as follows -
56 percent of government job entry positions are reserved for specific "entitled" classes
30 percent for children/grandchildren of 1971 "freedom fighters"
10 percent for women
10 percent is for districts based on population
5 percent for ethnic minorities
1 percent for people with disabilities
Due to this reservation system for government jobs, only 44 percent of the candidates are selected based on their merit.
In 2018, similar protests occurred which resulted in PM Sheikh Hasina scrapping the quota system.
Why Are Students Protesting?
Bangladeshi students have termed the current recruitment system, especially the quota for war heroes, as discriminatory. Students have demanded and they want recruitment based on merit.
The unrest increased after a ruling by the High Court Division of the Supreme Court in June 2024 ordered the reinstatement of these quotas.
In Bangladesh, government jobs are highly sought for mainly due to the good pay. As per reports, more than half of the positions - which amounts to hundreds of thousands - are reserved for certain groups.
Students and critics have stated that this system "unfairly benefits" the children of pro-government groups that support PM Hasina and her Awami League party. Sheikh Hasina won her fourth straight as PM in January this year.
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