Bangladesh protests: Nationwide shutdown likely today over job quota row

Plans of a complete nationwide shutdown in Bangladesh on July 18 amid violent protests demanding reforms in the quota system in government jobs were announced by student protesters. 

The move came in response to the actions of the security forces that left at least six people, including four students, dead across the country.

Taking to Facebook, a key coordinator of the movement, Asif Mahmud said that all establishments, barring hospitals and emergency services will remain closed on Thursday. He said that only ambulance services will be permitted to operate.

The movement also urged that students from all educational to participate and call on guardians to support their cause, as per media reports.

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Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, on July 17 said that she “deeply regretted” the casualties in the violence and said that a judicial inquiry committee will be formed.

Hasina asked demonstrators to keep faith in the country’s apex court as the issue is pending with it.

"I believe our students will get justice (in the apex court). They will not be disappointed," she said and declared a judicial investigation into the killings.

"I declare unequivocally that action will be taken to ensure that those who have committed murder, looting and terrorist activities, whoever they may be, receive appropriate punishment," the premier said.

Hasina, however, held responsible “some vested quarters” for instigating the violence saying the protesting students were not involved in the “terrorist acts” and urged them not to give chance to miscreants to take advantage of the situation.

The violence prompted the government to close all public and private universities alongside schools and colleges across Bangladesh for an indefinite period on late Tuesday asking residential students to leave dormitories.

According to media reports, four of the deceased were students and the remaining two were small traders. Two people were killed in the capital Dhaka, three in the southeastern port city of Chattogram and one in northwestern Rangpur.

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Media reports and witnesses said violence continued on July 17 when scores of protesters were wounded in clashes with alleged ruling Awami League’s student activists and police.

Mahmud said they decided to protest against "the killings, beatings of protesters and others” by police, paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and police’s SWAT unit.

"Other than hospitals and emergency no institution's doors will open. Other than ambulances, no cars will ply the street. I am calling on students of every school, college, university, private university, and Madrasah to help make tomorrow's programme a success,” he announced in a Facebook post.

Fifty-six per cent of government jobs are reserved under the current quota system with 30 being for the decedents of the 1971 Liberation War freedom fighters, 10 per cent for backward administrative districts, 10 per cent for women, five per cent for ethnic minority groups and one per cent for the handicapped people.

Every year some 3,000 government jobs open up to nearly 400,000 graduates.

UN Human Rights chief Volker Turk on July 17 urged Bangladesh authorities to engage with protesting students adding “all acts of violence and use of force, especially resulting in loss of life, must be investigated and perpetrators held to account".