Bangladesh: Violent student protests in Bangladesh over government job quotas took nearly two dozen lives this week forcing the country to shut down communication and media. Many television news channels were unavailable, and extensive telecommunications disruptions were observed across the country. Concerning the number of fatalities, the sources differed from 13 to 32.
The initial cause of the protests stemmed from dissatisfaction with the quota system, however, this was compounded by further issues such as inflation and unemployment. According to unverified information, the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also mobilized the army to regain control. Telecommunication services were also affected particularly on international connections and internet-based services.
Official government websites such as the Central Bank and the Office of the Prime Minister seemed to have been hacked and had banners with messages of ‘resistance’ from a group known as ‘THE R3SISTANC3’. The group expressed its displeasure at the actions of the government and pledged to carry on with the protests, arguing that the authorities wanted to prevent people from protesting by cutting off the internet.
However, protesters did not allow any government to appease them, and there were continued confrontations between them and the police forces who used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse them. The protests, mostly the biggest since Hasina’s recent re-election, are indicative of deeper socio-economic grievances in Bangladesh which have been compounded by recent economic woes and the sensitive quota system.
Despite this, events will remain focused on the stability of the country and the actions of its government that will attract interest and concern from the world concerning human rights and freedoms in the context of the developing conflict.
