6 dead, hundreds injured in Bangladesh anti-job quota protests
By Carl Samson
Six people were killed and more than 400 were injured during violent clashes in Bangladesh earlier this week as students protest the government’s job quota system. The policy, which was reinstated on June 5 after being abolished in 2018, reserves up to 30% of public jobs for family members of veterans who fought in the 1971 War of Independence from Pakistan.
- What happened: The protests, which began shortly after the system’s reinstatement, escalated on Monday as demonstrators clashed with members of the Awami League, Bangladesh’s ruling party that led the country to independence. The violence continued on Wednesday after security forces were deployed outside Dhaka University.
- The aftermath: Following the deaths and injuries reported on Tuesday, the University Grants Commission urged all public and private universities to close indefinitely. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced a judicial investigation into the killings and urged protesters to trust the Supreme Court’s upcoming decision on the quota system.
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