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This sparked widespread protests across the country, resulting in six fatalities and approximately 400 injuries. As a result, all private and public universities have been closed indefinitely starting from Wednesday, July 17.
What is the issue?
Government jobs are more attractive to the middle class than most private jobs. According to AP, around 400,000 graduates compete for 3,000 positions in the civil service exam.
Up until 2018, 56% of government jobs in Bangladesh were reserved. 30% of these jobs were reserved for relatives of freedom fighters, 10% for women, 10% for people from underdeveloped districts, 5% for indigenous communities, and 1% for people with disabilities.
Following the decision on June 5th to reinstate the quotas, violence has broken out. Protesters are demanding an end to the 30% reservation for families of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s war of independence in 1971. They argue that this 30% reservation primarily benefits the supporters of Hasina’s party, the Awami League, which led the Bangladeshi liberation struggle in 1971.
On 8 April 2018, hundreds of students initiated anti-quota protests, resulting in violence and a confrontation between students and the ruling party's student wing, the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL). After facing international criticism, Hasina announced the removal of all quotas.
How has the government responded?
The government has not done much to pacify the protesters. Instead, Sheikh Hasina added fuel to the fire by referring to the protesters as ‘razakars’, a derogatory word for ‘traitors’.
“Why are freedom fighters resented? Should the grandchildren of Razakars get benefits if freedom fighters' grandchildren don't?” she asked at a news conference on Sunday.
In response, protesters at Dhaka University chanted the slogan, “Who are you? Who am I? Razakar, Razakar,” during a protest.
Who are “Razakar”?
Razakars were paramilitary forces set up by the Pakistani Army to help Islamabad's control of East Pakistan and suppress the ongoing liberation movement. Bangladeshis resent them greatly and consider them traitors.
Our news media partner, Priya Dutt, crafted and curated this news.
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