Students in Bangladesh are fighting for justice in the face of unprecedented repression by the police, armed forces and goon squads organised by the ruling Awami League, a Bangali activist with "@deshisforliberation" told Green Left on July 21.
@deshisforliberation is a Bangali-led and formed group for collective liberation. It respects different cultural, historical and economic aspects of issues and is against oppression for all marginalised peoples. It believes in creating systemic change through education and action.
“Zaria” (not their real name, to protect their family) said Bangladeshis on the ground want things to deescalate without foreign influence or intervention. Other parties and groups are trying to take advantage of the civil unrest for their own interests and the student movement, and their supporters, are very wary of this.
“The protests have been happening for two weeks now ever since the government put the 2018 abolition of the unfair quota system for government employment. This abolition decision was made in response to a previous round of mass student protests,” Zaria explained.
There hasn’t been this level of violence against civilians in Bangladesh for a long time and there is a mass communications blackout and curfew.
“On July 17, six people were martyred. This includes Abu Sayed from Rangpur University. A clip that is going around shows that he was unarmed except for a stick that he picked up just to defend himself and there is a horde of police shooting and shooting at him. When he was eventually brought to medical attention, he was dead.
“On July 18 there were 20 confirmed martyrs, including Farhan Faiyaaz, who was just 17 years old. He never got to finish high school. He was a bright, fun-loving kid who just wanted to support other students.
“And reports are coming out today that there are at least 105 people killed so far.”
The students protested in 2018 and are on the streets again this year against an unfair quota system used by the ruling party to keep its support base through nepotism.
In a country with a population of more than 180 million and where the private sector cannot create as many jobs as are needed for people to survive, government jobs are highly sought after.
Young people go through long and expensive efforts to qualify for these jobs, but are not given a chance to get them, even when they do well in their studies.
The quota system reserves 56% of government positions, with 30% reserved for the descendants of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s war of independence in 1971. However, Zaria and the protesting students see the quota used by the Awami League to keep its supporters through a system of “party nepotism”.
“If you want to get a government job, you will have to support them.
“The exams that you have to take to get into the public service are leaked. They are often sold to some people.
“Everyone knows that this system is unfair. But because of the violence we are seeing now some people are scared to speak out.”
In response to the protests, the government branded the students as “razakars” — meaning “traitors” — and warned that it was coming for them.
The students were protesting peacefully, Zaria said. “They didn’t even block the roads. But in response, the ruling party unleashed the Chhatra League, which translates to ‘student league’ but is actually a group run by the Awami League.
“They are not really students, they are goons.
“They come out with sticks and machetes to attack the protesting students. Crude bombs have been used and acid has been thrown on women … there is so much footage of their violence.”
The government has closed public university dormitories and so the students have nowhere to stay except on the streets, where they are attacked by Chhatra League goons.
“They can’t go home to their dorms and yet the police are arresting them for being in the streets during the curfew that is being enforced by the police, the army and even the border control police…
“They blacked out communications in Bangladesh and people have difficulty communicating with their families.”
Since this interview was conducted, the Supreme Court of Bangladesh overturned an earlier High Court decision which upheld the unfair quota system. On July 21, it was announced that 93% of government positions should be filled on the basis of merit with only 5% reserved for the descendants of freedom fighters (up to their grandchildren), 1% for small ethnic communities and 1% for disabled and their gender individuals.
The student protest movement has vowed to continue despite this apparent victory because the quota issue was just the spark for widespread anger over desperate living conditions. The brutality of the repression meted out against the protesting students has become an issue in itself.
Abdul Quader, one of the coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement has put forward the following demands in response to the recent violence and killings, on behalf of the protesting students:
1. The Prime Minister must apologize to the nation for the killing of students.
2. The resignation of Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and Road Transport and Bridges minister Obaidul Quader.
3. Dismissal of Syed Nurul Islam, deputy inspector general of Bangladesh police, the police commissioner, and the superintendent of police in areas where students were killed or injured.
4. The resignation of the vice chancellors and proctors of Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University, and Rajshahi University.
5. Arrest and prosecution of police officers and ruling party thugs accused of student killings.
6. The families of the grieving and the injured should be compensated.
7. Prohibition of partisan student politics on all campuses.
8. All schools, colleges, universities, and student halls should be opened up again for students.
9. Guarantee that a student’s participation in the protest does not cause any harm to their academic future.
“The students are saying that even if we got quota reform now, where is the justice for the lives of the students that were lost? Where is the accountability for this kind of brutal response to peaceful protests?”
Zaria told GL that they, along with many Bangala people are proud of the students for daring to speak out and stand up for the interests of the common people.