Bangladesh protests rage on despite student leader's release
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In Bangladesh, protests reignited after the Friday prayers as demonstrators demanded justice for the victims of recent nationwide unrest and police violence.
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People take part in a protest march against the mass arrests and killings of protesters during violence in Dhaka, Bangladesh. (AFP/Getty Images)
In Bangladesh, protests erupted again after the Friday prayers as demonstrators demanded justice for victims of recent nationwide unrest and police violence. The release of protest leaders did little to quell public anger.
Student protests against civil service job quotas led to severe unrest last month, resulting in at least 206 deaths, according to AFP's tally from police and hospital reports. This violence marked some of the most intense turmoil during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's 15-year rule, prompting significant domestic dissatisfaction and international condemnation.
Despite the release of six prominent leaders from the group that initiated the protests, they called for renewed demonstrations. "We want justice for the murders of our sisters and brothers," stated Students Against Discrimination. In response, thousands of young men in Dhaka and Chittagong gathered after midday prayers, braving heavy monsoon rains to join the protests.
A crowd gathered outside the largest mosque in central Dhaka, the bustling megacity with a population of 20 million, chanting slogans: "Why are our brothers in graves and the killers outside?"
Students Against Discrimination had called for the release of their detained leaders, three of whom were forcibly removed from a hospital by plainclothes police last week. Their release was seen as an attempt by the government to "de-escalate tensions", according to University of Oslo researcher Mubashar Hasan. However, other student demands remain unaddressed, including a public apology from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for the violence and the removal of several of her ministers. Additionally, they have demanded the reopening of schools and universities nationwide, which were closed during the peak of the unrest.
'She must go'
Many protesters are now calling for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign entirely.
"She must go," writer and activist Arup Rahee said as quoted by AFP from a rally in the capital. "There will be no justice for the student murders if she remains in power."
Netblocks, an internet outage monitoring organization, reported that service providers have once again restricted access to Facebook, WhatsApp, and Telegram, which were used last month to coordinate the protests.
"We were instructed by the authorities to block Facebook," according to an official from one phone company, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Dive deeper
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, 76, has been in power since 2009 and secured her fourth consecutive term in January following an election widely criticized for lacking genuine opposition. Her administration faces allegations from human rights groups of manipulating state institutions to consolidate power and suppress dissent, including accusations of extrajudicial killings of opposition activists.
The protests began in early July in response to the reinstatement of a quota system for government jobs, which was later reduced by the Supreme Court. This system, which allocated more than half of all government positions to specific groups, stirred frustration among graduates amid a severe employment crisis affecting around 18 million young Bangladeshis. Critics argue that the quota was used to fill public positions with loyalists of the ruling Awami League.
The protests last month had been largely peaceful until police and pro-government student groups attacked demonstrators. In response, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government imposed a nationwide curfew, deployed troops, and shut down the mobile internet network for 11 days to restore order.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell condemned the subsequent police crackdown, describing it as "excessive and lethal" and called for an independent investigation into their actions.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan stated that security forces had acted with restraint but were "forced to open fire" to protect government buildings. The UN children's agency reported that at least 32 children were among those killed during the unrest.
Diplomats noted that Hasina's government had sought United Nations assistance for its investigation into the unrest but had been turned down.
"The UN called for an impartial, independent and transparent investigation into all alleged human rights violations," a United Nations official said as quoted by AFP on condition of anonymity.
"The UN, however, does not support national investigations in the way that is being suggested," the official added.
Read more: Bangladesh police release anti-quota protest student leaders
