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The Bangladeshi government has announced the indefinite closure of all schools and universities after weeks of ongoing student protests.
On the night of July 16, 2024, the violence escalated when the police, along with armed members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student wing of the ruling Awami League, attacked the protesting students.
The University Grants Commission ordered the closure of all university gates and issued instructions to evacuate buildings “for security reasons.” Additionally, directives were issued to close all schools, colleges, and educational institutions.
The violence intensified as student protests against the quota system in government jobs turned “bloody,” resulting in the death of at least six people and injuring dozens, amid rising unemployment rates in the country.
Clashes erupted between protesting students opposing the quota system and government-supporting students in the capital Dhaka and other cities.
The protests continued in defiance of calls from Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the Supreme Court for the students to return to their classrooms.
Protesters argue that the quota system benefits the children of government-supporting groups backing Sheikh Hasina, who secured her fourth consecutive term in January 2024.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk recommended an investigation into the violence that led to the loss of lives and holding the perpetrators accountable in a post on the social media platform X.
Reason for the Protests
The quota system in Bangladesh allocates 56% of government jobs to various groups, with 30% reserved for the children of veterans of the 1971 independence war against Pakistan. After the quota system was abolished in 2018, it was reinstated earlier this month.
The system allocates 10% for employing women, 10% for people from underdeveloped areas, 5% for indigenous people, and 1% for the disabled.
The country is experiencing high unemployment and inflation rates amidst a stagnation in private sector job growth, increasing the “growing” desire for government jobs and their benefits.
In late May 2024, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on the Bangladeshi government to protect protesters from all forms of “threats or violence.”
According to a report by Amnesty International, people have the right to peaceful protest, and states have a duty to respect, facilitate, and protect this right. This means that governments should not intervene in protests unless there is a legitimate threat to the safety and rights of others.
According to the Human Rights Document adopted on July 27, 2020, everyone has the right to peaceful assembly. This right serves as a tool for exercising many other rights guaranteed by international law, being closely related to them, and collectively forming the basis for participation in peaceful protests.
“Same Justice” organization emphasizes the need to safeguard and protect the right to freedom of expression according to international laws, stressing the importance of protecting protesters and ensuring their right to express their opinions in sit-ins, protests, gatherings, and events.
