What’s behind Bangladesh’s violent quota protests?
Al Jazeera
Students demanding reforms in the quota system say they have come under attack from the government and its allies.
The two-week-long anti-quota protests in Bangladesh have turned violent after groups linked to the ruling party attacked student protesters in the capital, Dhaka.
More than 400 people were injured on Monday and Tuesday during attacks on protesters who are against the government job quota system amid rising unemployment in the South Asian nation.
The protests began on July 1 after the High Court reinstated the job quota that reserves one-third of civil service posts for children of fighters who participated in the country’s liberation movement in 1971.
So what triggered the current protests and why is the quota system facing opposition?
Students from government and private universities across Bangladesh are demanding reform in the conventional job quota system, under which more than half of much sought-after government jobs are reserved.
