Rising death toll forces Bangladeshi student group to suspend protests for two days

Violent protests in Bangladesh have been suspended for 48 hours, according to the Bangladeshi student group that led the protests that turned deadly. The group’s leader said they did not want reforms at the cost of bloodshed in the country.

The protest, which was against the political quota for access to government jobs, has now turned violent and resulted in the deaths of about 163 people. The Bangladeshi student leader called for a 48-hour halt to the protests on Monday after the Supreme Court ruled to abolish most quotas for government jobs. Over 160 people have died due to the unrest across the country.

Supreme Court Order

The Supreme Court has ordered that 93% of government jobs should be open to applicants on merit. The Supreme Court directed the government to reduce the job quota for families of freedom fighters from 30% to 5%. It said that the remaining 2% of jobs will continue to be subject to quotas designed for so-called disadvantaged groups and the disabled. Asking the protesting students to return to their classes, the court also asked the government to issue an order regarding the quotas.

In June, the Supreme Court reinstated job reservations that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government had abolished in 2018. This led to reports of protests from various parts of the country and students taking to the streets.

Protests against reservation of public sector jobs in Bangladesh appeared to have calmed down on Monday after several days. The population has been given some respite from the curfew. However, communication services have not yet been restored. The protesting students have given the government 48 hours to consider their new demands. On Sunday, the Supreme Court issued an order annulling the Supreme Court’s order to reserve 30% of jobs.