Pause in Bangladesh protests after top court scraps job quotas

DHAKA - The streets of Bangladesh appeared calm on July 22 amid a curfew, a day after the country’s Supreme Court scrapped most quotas for government jobs that had angered student-led activists and resulted in deadly protests.

Late on July 21, protesters gave Bangladesh’s government 48 hours to meet new demands, including a public apology from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for the violence, and the restoration of internet connections disrupted during the unrest.

On July 22, most appeared to be obeying a curfew in cities that had seen regular demonstrations after a High Court in June reinstated old quotas that reserved many state jobs for descendants of freedom fighters and other groups.

A public holiday declared over the last two days was extended to July 23, according to a government notification.

“Normalcy will return within one or two days,” Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan told reporters.

At least 147 people have died in the violence, according to information from hospitals.

Experts have blamed the unrest on stagnant job growth in the private sector and high rates of youth unemployment that have made government jobs, with their regular wage hikes and other privileges, more attractive.

Ms Hasina, who was sworn in for a fourth consecutive term in 2024, has been accused of authoritarianism, human rights violations, and crackdowns on free speech and dissent in the past – charges her government denies.

The recent clashes followed similar violent protests ahead of January’s national elections by Ms Hasina’s opponents in response to what they called her authoritarian rule, and by garment workers demanding better pay amid high inflation.

Army tanks were seen stationed at several places along the streets of the capital Dhaka, while armed security patrols directed the few motorists who ventured out.

On July 21, the Supreme Court ordered that 93 per cent of government jobs should be allocated on the basis of merit, against earlier quotas of 56 per cent for groups such as families of freedom fighters, women and people from underdeveloped areas.

Hours after that ruling, the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement issued a statement demanding that the government reopen campuses and end restrictions imposed as protests raged.

It also called for the resignation of some ministers and university officials, and the dismissal of police officers deployed in areas where students were killed.

“We are giving an ultimatum to the government to fulfil our eight-point demand within 48 hours,” one of the Movement’s leaders, Mr Hasnat Abdullah, told reporters.

He did not say what would happen if the government did not meet the demands. The government did not immediately comment.

Thousands were injured in last week’s protests as security forces fired tear gas, rubber bullets and sound grenades to scatter the demonstrators.

Protesters said some of their leaders were detained, including Mr Nahid Islam, who told the media he was picked up by “20 to 30 people” claiming to be police early on the morning of July 21 and taken to a room where he said he was tortured until he lost consciousness.

“When I regained consciousness, I found myself lying on the streets,” he said.

Reuters could not immediately verify his account.

Bangladesh’s US$416 billion (S$560 billion) economy had been one of the fastest-growing in the world for years, but has faced struggles after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Costly energy imports following the war in Ukraine shrank its dollar reserves, which fanned inflation and pushed the government to seek a bailout from the International Monetary Fund. REUTERS