ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA – Bangladesh is still in a tense situation. The number of deaths due to student protests increased to 201 people as of Thursday, July 26 2024.
In fact, the Bangladesh Supreme Court has abolished most quotas for workers in government or civil servants on Sunday, July 21, 2024.
The quota policy for civil servants in Bangladesh has sparked national protests in the past month led by students. The military responded with violence to the demonstration, killing at least 114 people by the end of last week. The significant increase in the number of victims of violence in recent days in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, occurred as a result of the increasing crackdown on opposition parties.
The implementation of the curfew and military deployment which came into effect on Saturday, July 20 2024, continues with a break from 10.00 am to 05.00 pm local time. Offices and industry resumed operations on Wednesday during the same pause period, according to a government announcement.
Bangladesh Law Minister Anisul Haq said the curfew would be lifted in stages taking into account the situation. Inspector Bachchu Mia, in charge of the police post at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), confirmed the death toll had risen to 201 people.
“Most of the victims died from gunshot wounds,” national newspaper Prothom Alo reported on Thursday.
Anjuman Mufidul Islam, a local welfare organization that provides funeral services for Muslims, buried 21 bodies. An official of the organization, Kamrul Ahmed, said that in the last three days, police handed over the bodies of 21 victims to Anjuman Mufidul Islam, including those from DMCH during the protests.
“We have buried the bodies. We carried out the work as a routine job. Police retained DNA samples and other details for records and future claims,” he added.
As is known, Bangladesh has been hit by unprecedented protests and violence since early July 2024 over calls for reform in the country’s coveted public jobs quota system. The reason is that the recruitment system is considered very unfair by students.
Since July 16, 2024, protests have escalated after police and members of the ruling party, including its student wing, the Bangladesh Students’ League, reportedly attacked students on university campuses across the country.
In response to the protests, the government, supported by a Bangladesh Supreme Court ruling, issued an announcement reforming the quota system, cutting the quota to 7% from 56%. However, the demonstrating students demanded that campuses be reopened and normalcy in the country be restored.
Police arrested around 4,500 people in the past eight days, including 1,400 on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. Many of those arrested were members of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami party, according to Prothom Alo.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan blamed opposition parties for violence during protests demanding reforms in government job quotas.
“We will identify them one by one with all our might. They will face legal consequences. We will not back down to ensure that,” Asaduzzaman said.
UN Rights Chief Calls for End to Protest Crackdowns in Bangladesh
On Thursday, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called on the Bangladeshi Government to provide explicit details about last week’s protest crackdowns and increased violence to ensure that law enforcement adheres to international human rights standards.
Over the past few weeks, students in Bangladesh have been protesting against the Government to demand an end to the quota system for government jobs amid rising unemployment. As demonstrations continued, there were eruptions of violence which led to death and the closure of public and private universities.
Deaths, injuries and arrests
Latest reports indicate that over 170 people have died, and over a thousand have been injured. Two journalists reportedly were killed, and many others injured, while hundreds of people were arrested amidst the protests.
The High Commissioner, Volker Türk, said many people were subjected to violence by groups reportedly affiliated with the government and there was no effort to protect these people.
“In order to begin to rebuild gravely-damaged public trust and create an environment conducive to public dialogue on the underlying concerns that led to this wave of violence, I urge the Government to ensure that all operations of law enforcement agencies are conducted strictly in line with international human rights norms and standards, particularly regarding the policing of protests, including use of force,” he said.
Restore internet access
Mr. Türk also called on the Government to restore internet access to civilians after it was shut down last Thursday to allow journalists and media outlets to communicate freely in line with international law.
“Blunt measures such as a blanket deliberate Internet shutdown for a prolonged period contravene international law, affecting States’ obligations to respect freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly, as well as a wide range of other rights, including freedom of association and of movement, the rights to health and education, and a number of economic rights,” the High Commissioner said.
He further noted that internet shutdowns can reduce public scrutiny of law enforcement agencies, increasing the risk of “impunity for their actions.”
UN experts call to action
Four independent UN human rights experts also called on the Bangladeshi government to end violent crackdowns and restore internet access as student protests continue.
The Special Rapporteurs expressed that they are alarmed by the number of killings, arrests and threats.
“We call on the authorities to immediately release all peaceful protesters and ensure due process for those charged and prosecuted in connection with their role in the violence,” they said.
“Prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigations in line with internationally recognised standards must be carried out into all human rights violations,” they added.
Supreme Court ruling
The UN High Commissioner said that the Bangladesh Supreme Court’s ruling on Sunday to “narrow the quota system for government jobs” which set off the protests, “may open space for confidence-building, leading to meaningful and inclusive dialogue to address underlying issues and grievances.”
Mr. Türk is encouraging politicians there to “avoid any statements or actions that could constitute incitement to violence or lead to a further crackdown on dissent.”
The experts said the court’s recent decision is important but will not be enough enough to restore people’s trust and confidence in the government.
“To regain public trust, the Government needs to take responsibility and ensure a credible process of investigation and accountability to hold perpetrators to account,” they said.
The experts are said to be in contact with the Bangladesh government about this matter.
Role of rapporteurs
Special Rapporteurs and other UN Human Rights Council-appointed experts are independent of any government or organization.
They serve in their individual capacity and do not receive any payment for their work. (Newswire/UN News/AT Network)
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