Dozens wounded as college students protest authorities job quotas in Bangladesh | Protests Information

Demonstrators say the quota system advantages the youngsters of pro-government teams and demand it’s scrapped.

Violent clashes between individuals loyal to Bangladesh’s ruling social gathering and demonstrators protesting in opposition to job quotas for coveted authorities jobs have wounded a minimum of 100 individuals, police say.

The quota system reserves greater than half of well-paid civil service posts, totalling tons of of 1000’s of presidency jobs, for particular teams, together with youngsters of fighters within the nation’s 1971 struggle of independence from Pakistan.

Critics say the system advantages youngsters of pro-government teams who again Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who received her fourth consecutive time period in a normal election in January that was boycotted by the opposition.

Bangladesh’s high courtroom final week quickly suspended the quotas, however protesters have promised to proceed their rallies till the elements of the scheme they oppose are scrapped fully.

Police and witnesses mentioned tons of of antiquota protesters and college students backing the ruling Awami League social gathering battled for hours on Monday on the Dhaka College campus, hurling rocks, combating with sticks and beating one another with iron rods.

Some carried machetes whereas others threw petrol bombs, witnesses mentioned in a report by the AFP information company. “They clashed with sticks and threw rocks at one another,” police official Mostajirur Rahman advised AFP.

Nahid Islam, nationwide coordinator of the antiquota protests, mentioned their “peaceable procession” was attacked by individuals carrying rods, sticks and rocks. “They beat our feminine protesters. Not less than 150 college students have been injured, together with 30 ladies, and situations of 20 college students are critical,” he mentioned.

Injured scholar Shahinur Shumi, 26, mentioned the protesters have been taken without warning.

“We have been holding our procession peacefully,” she mentioned from her hospital mattress at Dhaka Medical Hospital. “Out of the blue, the Chhatra League [ruling party’s student wing] attacked us with sticks, machetes, iron rods and bricks.”

‘Reform quota system’

Native media studies mentioned the protests by 1000’s of scholars throughout Bangladesh started on Sunday evening and continued into Monday after Hasina mentioned the quotas have been a matter for the highest courtroom.

Hasina additionally reportedly in contrast the protesters to Razakar fighters, who collaborated with the Pakistani military throughout the struggle for independence.

College students on Sunday evening marched in a dozen universities and continued into early on Monday, protesting in opposition to Hasina’s feedback and the quota system.

Police on Monday mentioned tons of of antiquota college students from a number of non-public universities joined the protests in Dhaka and halted visitors close to the USA embassy for greater than 4 hours.

“Some 200 college students squatted and stood on the street,” deputy police commissioner Hasanuzzaman Molla advised AFP.

Throughout a information convention at her official residence, Hasina, 76, criticised these opposing the quotas for the descendants of the nation’s freedom fighters, native media studies mentioned.

However the protesting college students mentioned solely the quotas supporting ethnic minorities and disabled individuals – which reserve 6 p.c of the federal government jobs – ought to stay.

“We wish a reform of the quota system,” a feminine scholar from Dhaka College mentioned, asking to not be named for worry of reprisal.