Bangladesh has been rocked by student protests for nearly three weeks, and day by day, it is taking a violent turn.
The Indian High Commission in Dhaka released an urgent advisory for members of the Indian community and students living in the country amid violent protests that have killed seven.
“In view of the ongoing situation in Bangladesh, the Indian community members and the Indian students residing in Bangladesh are advised to avoid travel and minimise their movement outside their living premises,” the Indian High Commission said in an advisory.
The Commission has also issued 24-Hour Emergency contact numbers in case of any urgency or need for help.
The protests erupted in the wake of a June 5 ruling by the Bangladesh High Court reinstating the 30 per cent quota for the descendants of those who participated in the country’s 1971 liberation movement in Government jobs, which was repealed in 2018 after a massive agitation led by students and teachers.
Government jobs in the country are highly coveted as a stable and lucrative source of income. Nearly 400,000 students appear in exams for around 3,000 such jobs.
Until 2018, 56 per cent of Government jobs were reserved for various categories. The majority – 30 per cent were reserved for family members of veterans who had fought for Bangladesh’s liberation in 1971. Women and people from underdeveloped districts enjoyed 10 per cent reservation each, members of tribal communities got 5 per cent, and 1 per cent was reserved for persons with disabilities. This left only 44 per cent of all openings available for open admission.
The freedom fighters’ quota was particularly controversial as people believe this is for those loyal to Hasina’s party, the Awami League, which headed the Bangladeshi liberation struggle. Adding to people’s anger were the special examinations for quota candidates, varying age limits for each category, and the fact that there remained many vacancies in quota seats even as eligible candidates in the merit list were unemployed.
In April 2018, students and teachers embarked on a four-month-long protest demanding the removal of these conditions, and a reduction in the overall reservation to 10 per cent. Violence ensued, with protestors coming to blows with the Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of the ruling Awami League and the police. Following criticism from everywhere, Hasina announced the removal of all quotas.
On June 5, 2024, the High Court Division of the Bangladesh Supreme Court ordered the overturning of the 2018 order repealing all reservations, particularly the contentious 30 per cent freedom fighters’ quota.
Protestors have this time demanded the removal of discriminatory quotas from all grades, to limit the overall reservation to 6 per cent for ethnic minorities and disabled people as identified in the constitution, and to pass a bill in parliament to secure this change.
In the meantime, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s opinion has changed majorly regarding the student protest compared to the past protest in 2018. Back then, she was more supportive of the students’ demands.
However, this time, Hasina’s stance has changed. She has dismissed the anti-quota movement as unjustified, especially after the high court’s decision. So far, Hasina has done little to calm things down. Instead, her comments have only made the situation worse.
Sheikh Hasina further added fuel to the fire by referring to the protestors as ‘razakars’, a derogatory Bangla word for ‘traitors’ – with some grim historical baggage.
The unarmed student protesters faced numerous attacks from the Bangladesh Chhatra League in 2018 and this year, too.
Over the years, the Awami League, Hasina’s party, has often referred to its Government’s critics and dissidents as ‘razakars’, evoking the brutal collaborationists who raped and killed Bengali civilians during the liberation war.
