How peaceful Bangladesh quota protests morphed into nationwide unrest
Al Jazeera
Government crackdown and attacks by ruling party supporters caused one of the biggest protests against PM Sheikh Hasina.
Dhaka, Bangladesh – For three days, Ahsan Habib, a private university student, was on the streets of Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka protesting against what he believes was a “violent assault” by police and ruling party supporters against common people like him.
The student protests seeking reform of the government’s job quota system have morphed into nationwide violent unrest, with demands for holding the government accountable for the loss of lives over the past week.
On Sunday, the Supreme Court scrapped most of the quotas, saying that 93 percent of government jobs will now be based on merit. But student leaders have pledged to carry on with the protests, demanding the release of jailed protesters and the resignation of officials, including Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, who they say are responsible for the violence that left at least 131 people dead.
