A wave of student protests in Bangladesh has led to more than two dozen deaths, exposing severe discontent with the government and deep-seated economic issues in the world’s second-largest garment exporter. The unrest, driven by widespread frustration over a contentious job quota system, has highlighted the economic and political turmoil under Sheikh Hasina’s prolonged leadership.
Over the past few weeks, university students across Bangladesh, a nation of 170 million, have rallied against a job quota system they claim favours supporters of the ruling Awami League party and perpetuates corruption. According to French news agency AFP, at least 39 people have been killed in the clashes, with about two-thirds of the fatalities resulting from injuries inflicted by police weapons, including rubber bullets. Other reports estimate the death toll to be between 24 and 28.
In response to the protests, the Bangladeshi government has shut down universities and imposed restrictions on internet and mobile services nationwide. The Financial Times was unable to reach sources within Bangladesh due to these disruptions.
Students allege that they have faced violent attacks from Awami League supporters and police forces. Authorities, however, accuse the protesters of committing acts of vandalism, including the recent arson attack on the offices of the state broadcaster BTV.
UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk has urged the Bangladeshi government to engage with the protesters and conduct a thorough investigation into the violence. “All acts of violence and use of force, especially resulting in loss of life, must be investigated and perpetrators held to account,” Türk stated on X.
In response to the unrest, Sheikh Hasina’s government has expressed condemnation of the violence and offered to hold talks with the protesters. However, student leaders have dismissed these talks as insincere.
The job quota system, which was first suspended in 2018 and reinstated by a court last month, allocates approximately one-third of public sector jobs to descendants of veterans of Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence from Pakistan. Critics argue that the system is designed to benefit Awami League loyalists, reinforcing the party’s claim to be the true heir of the independence movement.
Sheikh Hasina, who has been in power for over two decades, was re-elected for a fifth term in January amidst allegations of electoral fraud and a crackdown on political opposition. In solidarity with the students, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, her primary rival, has called for a strike in the capital, Dhaka.
The anger surrounding the job quota system underscores the broader economic frustrations in Bangladesh, despite its rapid economic growth. The country has evolved from one of the poorest nations to a manufacturing hub for global brands like H&M and Zara, with GDP per capita now exceeding that of neighbouring India. Nonetheless, the crisis reflects ongoing issues of inequality and political discontent within the rapidly developing nation.
The economy has struggled with a grinding slowdown since the Covid-19 pandemic, marked by painful inflation, frequent blackouts, and dwindling foreign reserves. These issues have exacerbated popular anger with Sheikh Hasina’s increasingly autocratic rule. Despite strong support from neighbouring India and China—who view her secularism as a counterbalance to regional Islamism—her relations with the US and Europe have become strained due to her proximity to Beijing.
This week, the US State Department announced it was closely monitoring the protests and condemned any violence against peaceful protesters. The case over the controversial quota system is also set to be reviewed by Bangladesh’s Supreme Court, which may provide a legal resolution to the ongoing conflict.
