UN denounces ‘shocking’ attacks on student protests in Bangladesh – DW – 19/07/2024

The United Nations human rights chief on Friday called attacks on student protesters in Bangladesh “shocking and unacceptable” as the death toll from the authorities’ crackdown passed 100.

Near-daily protests broke out in early July against plans to reintroduce public sector hiring quotas, which were scrapped in 2018 after previous student protests.

Students are demanding a merit-based system.

What did the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, say?

“I am deeply concerned by the violence in Bangladesh this week, which has left dozens dead and hundreds injured. The attacks on student protesters are particularly shocking and unacceptable,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said in a statement.

“Impartial, prompt and thorough investigations into these attacks must be carried out, and those responsible must be held to account,” the statement continued.

Turk said he was deeply concerned by reports of the deployment of paramilitary police units, which he said had “a long history of violations.”

He urged the government to take measures to ensure the safety of students during peaceful protests and to guarantee the right to freedom of assembly without fear of attack.

What happened on Friday?

Violence continued in the capital Dhaka on Friday, as several hundred student protesters blocked roads and clashed with police, a day after the bloodiest day of the demonstrations.

Police fired tear gas to disperse protesters in some neighborhoods, Reuters news agency reporters reported. One reporter said numerous fires were visible across the city.

According to an AFP tally based on data collected from hospitals across the country, the death toll stood at 105 as of Friday evening. At least 52 people were killed on Friday, according to a list compiled by Dhaka University Hospital.

The government has not released a figure on the death toll.

Also on Friday, Dhaka police banned all public gatherings for the day, a first since the protests began.

Protesters storm prison in central Bangladesh

A group of protesters stormed a prison in Narsingdi district in central Bangladesh, freeing hundreds of inmates and setting the facility on fire, AFP news agency reported, citing a police officer.

Train services were suspended across the country, communications networks were disrupted and television news channels, including state broadcaster BTW, went silent.

The official websites of the central bank, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s office and the police appear to have been hacked by a group calling itself “THE R3SISTANC3”, Reuters reported.

Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, a senior leader of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, who supported the protests, was arrested.

On Friday evening, Hasina’s office announced a nationwide curfew and deployed military personnel to maintain order.

What is Bangladesh’s quota system and will it be reintroduced?

The quota system would allow more than half of public sector jobs to be reserved for certain groups.

About 30 percent of the jobs would be reserved for descendants of former military personnel who fought for the country’s independence from Pakistan in 1971. A smaller quota would be reserved for women, the disabled and people from poor neighborhoods.

Critics say the proposals are discriminatory and will benefit groups aligned with Hasina’s Awami League party, which has ruled Bangladesh with an iron fist for 15 years.

In Bangladesh, competition for stable and lucrative public sector jobs is fierce. Every year, some 400,000 graduates compete for about 3,000 positions in the civil service examinations.

The quota system could be reintroduced after the High Court last month overturned a ban when relatives of 1971 veterans filed petitions.

The decision was stayed by the Supreme Court pending an appeal hearing scheduled for Sunday.

On Wednesday, Hasina urged protesters in a televised speech to “wait with patience” for the court’s verdict, saying she believed they would “get justice” and “will not be disappointed.”

The government also said it had offered to hold talks with the protesters, but the call was rejected.

mm/rm (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)