Students in Bangladesh have taken to the streets in protest against the government’s job quotas, resulting in violent clashes and a rising death toll that has now surpassed 110. In response to the escalating violence, the Sheikh Hasina-led government has imposed a nationwide curfew and issued shoot-on-sight orders.
Police enforced a stringent curfew accompanied by a shoot-on-sight order throughout Bangladesh. Military forces have been deployed in parts of the capital, Dhaka, as clashes over civil service job allocations have left scores dead and hundreds injured.
The curfew, which began at midnight, was briefly relaxed from noon to 2 p.m. to allow citizens to attend to essential errands. It is expected to remain in place until 10 a.m. Sunday, permitting officers to fire on mobs in extreme situations, according to Obaidul Quader, general secretary of the ruling Awami League party.
Authorities have blocked online communications by banning mobile and internet services in an attempt to curb the unrest. Several television news channels have gone off the air, and most local newspaper websites are currently inaccessible. Notably, some key government websites, including those of Bangladesh’s central bank and the prime minister’s office, have been hacked and defaced.
In light of the ongoing civil unrest, crime, and terrorism, the US issued a travel advisory on Saturday, urging Americans to reconsider travel to Bangladesh.
The student-led protests are focused on the civil service job quota system in Bangladesh. A significant number of students are demanding an end to the quota system, which reserves over half of civil service positions for certain groups and communities, including 30% for relatives of veterans from the Bangladesh War of Independence against Pakistan in 1971. Protesters argue that this reservation policy is discriminatory and primarily benefits supporters of the ruling party. They are calling for a merit-based recruitment system, highlighting that these government jobs offer high security and better pay.
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