‘It’s conflict now’: As Bangladesh quota protests escalate, what’s subsequent? | Protests Information

A telecommunications blackout minimize Bangladesh off from the remainder of the world on Friday, because the nation of 170 million individuals hurtled in the direction of recent violence following days of intensifying protests and clashes between college students and safety forces.

The federal government has banned public rallies in capital Dhaka, the place buildings had been torched amid the clashes on Thursday. College students are protesting towards the nation’s job quota system. At the very least 19 individuals have died within the violence this week.

However on Friday, even amid the crackdown on cellphone and web connectivity, the protests took new varieties — together with obvious hacking assaults on prime authorities web sites.

Right here’s extra in regards to the protests, and the place they’re headed subsequent.

What occurred in Bangladesh on Thursday?

Protests that started weeks in the past noticed violence firstly of the week after pupil protesters had been attacked by activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the scholar wing of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League Social gathering.

As protesters refused to again down, the federal government on Wednesday ordered the closure of all universities — the epicentres of the motion towards the quotas. However college students refused to vacate campuses, in a tense standoff.

Then, on Thursday, that rigidity exploded into lethal violence. 1000’s of scholars clashed with armed police in Dhaka. Throughout these police clashes, eleven individuals had been killed together with a bus driver and a pupil, police sources instructed Al Jazeera. The AFP information company has reported that 39 individuals have been killed this week — 32 on Thursday alone. Native media reviews are saying a minimum of 28 have been killed as of Thursday. Al Jazeera has not been in a position to independently confirm these numbers.

Buildings torched, web down, financial institution web site hacked

Authorities minimize cellular and web providers to quell the unrest on Thursday. In response to the watchdog NetBlocks, the South Asian nation has confronted an entire, nationwide web blackout for greater than 16 hours now.

The police launched a press release accusing protesters of burning and vandalising buildings, together with police and authorities workplaces. This included the Dhaka headquarters of state broadcaster Bangladesh Tv (BTW), which stays offline since.

The web sites of main information organisations together with The Each day Star and Dhaka Tribune stay offline.

And several other official web sites in Bangladesh seemed to be hacked by a gaggle which fits by “THE R3SISTANC3”.

The hacked web sites embody these of the central financial institution, the prime minister’s workplace and police.

On the web site of the Prime Minister’s Workplace, the message reads “Cease Killing College students”, after which, in blood-red capital letters: “It’s not a protest anymore. It’s a conflict now.”

Particulars of the alleged hackers aren’t identified. The central financial institution and police websites remained inaccessible when Al Jazeera tried to achieve them.

Why are college students protesting Bangladesh’s quota system?

College college students throughout Bangladesh are calling for the nation’s typical job quota system to be reformed. Beneath the system, greater than half of a lot sought-after authorities jobs are reserved

The protests erupted after June 5, when the Excessive Court docket ordered the reinstatement of the 30 % quota for kids of freedom fighters who participated within the nation’s liberation motion in 1971.

The quota system was in place since 1972, and was abolished by Hasina in 2018 on account of pupil protests, earlier than the courtroom introduced it again in June.

The scholars argue the reserved jobs for freedom fighters profit a small group of individuals, affiliated with Hasina’s Awami League, which led the motion for independence from Pakistan.

Unemployment is rampant in Bangladesh, the place 40 % of youth are neither working nor in college.

What’s subsequent?

The nation’s Supreme Court docket suspended the Excessive Court docket’s reinstatement of quotas after the federal government’s attraction. It has set August 7 because the date when it should listening to for the federal government’s problem to the Excessive Court docket ruling.

The Hasina authorities says it agrees with college students on putting off the quota, a place it’s anticipated to reiterate earlier than the Supreme Court docket. However pupil protesters are demanding a authorized modification towards the quota — they are saying they don’t belief the federal government.

College students took to the streets on Friday morning and counterdemonstrations had been deliberate after noon prayers.

How has Hasina responded?

On Wednesday, Hasina referred to as for persistence and urged the scholars to attend for the Supreme Court docket’s determination.

The identical day, the PM additionally introduced a judicial probe to research the killings which have taken place.

On July 14, Hasina had implied that the protesters had been “Razakars“, an offensive time period for many who collaborated with Pakistan through the 1971 conflict. That comparability additional drew the ire of protesters.

• On Monday, US State Division spokesman Matt Miller criticised the violence towards protesters. “The liberty of expression and peaceable meeting are important constructing blocks of any thriving democracy, and we condemn any violence towards peaceable protesters,” Miller mentioned. The State Division has since then repeated that it’s involved in regards to the violence in Bangladesh.
• UN chief Antonio Guterres has referred to as for “restraint from all sides” in accordance with a Thursday press briefing by his spokesman Stephane Dujarric. “We name upon Bangladesh authorities to work with its younger inhabitants, discover options to the continuing challenges and catalyse their power in the direction of the nation’s development and improvement”.
• On Wednesday, Amnesty Worldwide launched an article condemning the authorities in Bangladesh. “Bangladeshi authorities used illegal drive towards pupil protesters and failed to make sure their safety,” mentioned the worldwide organisation.
• “Amnesty Worldwide strongly condemns the killing of pupil Abu Sayed and the assaults towards quota reform protesters throughout the nation,” Taqbir Huda, regional researcher for South Asia at Amnesty Worldwide was quoted within the article.
• On Friday, a gaggle referred to as Activists of All India Democratic College students’ Organisation (AIDSO) gathered in India’s New Delhi to specific solidarity with the protesting college students in Bangladesh.