Fresh violence in Bangladesh student protests

Fresh violence erupted in Bangladesh on Wednesday as police clashed with student protesters demanding justice for victims of recent unrest. The demonstrations, led by the Students Against Discrimination movement, have seen growing tensions across the country.

In the north-eastern city of Sylhet, officials reported that protesters attacked police, prompting officers to use tear gas to disperse the crowds. Similar clashes have been reported in the capital, Dhaka, and other cities.

The protests have resulted in more than 200 deaths this month, primarily due to police opening fire on demonstrators. Nearly 10,000 people have been detained amid the escalating violence.

The “March for Justice” organized by the Students Against Discrimination movement was held in response to “mass killings, arrests, attacks, and disappearances of students and people.” The protests initially began over the reinstatement of quotas in civil service jobs for relatives of veterans from Bangladesh’s 1971 war for independence from Pakistan.

A third of public sector jobs had been reserved for these relatives, but the Supreme Court ruled on 21 July that only 5% of the roles could be reserved. The student movement argues that this system is discriminatory and is demanding recruitment based on merit.

Protest organizers have called for an apology from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the resignation of six ministers over the deadly clashes. Meanwhile, the government has attributed the unrest to the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the Jamaat-e-Islami party.

The European Union has responded to the violence by postponing talks with Bangladesh on a new cooperation agreement, following criticism of the government’s crackdown on protesters. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell condemned the excessive use of force and urged for those responsible to be held accountable.