Bangladesh police release anti-quota protest student leaders
2 Min Read
Earlier this week, the Students Against Discrimination movement vowed they would resume protests unless their leaders are released from police custody.
-
People take part in a protest march against the mass arrests and killings of protesters during last month's violence in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on July 28, 2024. (AFP)
Top members of Bangladesh's Students Against Discrimination were released from police custody on Thursday, following the violent nationwide anti-quota protests last month, a senior official told AFP.
"All six quota movement coordinators have been returned to their families this afternoon," Deputy Commissioner Junaed Alam Sarkar said, referring to the Students Against Discriminiation members who organized the protests that sparked police clashes that resulted in 206 people killed.
The six leaders were arrested within the past week, including Nahid Islam, who was forcibly discharged from a hospital in Dhaka on Friday with two other people by plainclothes detectives and taken to a disclosed location.
Badul Islam, Nahid's father, told AFP that his son did not provide additional details upon his return home on Thursday afternoon.
Three other leaders were taken into custody this week, justified by the government claiming they were detained for their safety.
"They came here willingly and they returned willingly," Justice Minister Anisul Huq told AFP on Thursday, emphasizing the students voluntarily sought police custody.
Bangladesh's top court reduces job quotas that sparked unrest
The Supreme Court of Bangladesh on July 21 significantly reduced the number of government jobs reserved for war veterans and their descendants, in a landmark decision following violent student protests that resulted in 155 deaths.
Shah Monjurul Hoque, a lawyer representing student groups, indicated that the court ruled that only 5% of government jobs will now be reserved for the children and grandchildren of those who fought for Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan in 1971, down from the previous 30% quota for this group.
The court's ruling also reduces quotas for other groups and abolishes quotas for women and those from certain districts. The quota for ethnic minorities is reduced to 1% from 5%, while the existing 1% of jobs reserved for people with disabilities remains unchanged.
Overall, the ruling decreased the number of reserved jobs from 56% to 7%, opening up many more civil service positions to university students who had deemed the previous system unfair and demanded its overhaul.
