Bangladesh Supreme Court cuts jobs quota after deadly unrest leaves 151 dead

BANGLADESH, July 21: What began as a protest against quotas for sought-after government jobs has escalated into one of the worst unrests of Sheikh Hasina’s tenure this week. Bangladesh’s Supreme Court on Sunday rolled back a controversial quota system for government job applicants, marking a partial victory for student protesters after days of nationwide unrest and deadly clashes with police, the Hindustan Times report said.

The ruling came after violent protests broke out over a quota that reserved a large proportion of government jobs for relatives of veterans of Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence.

These quotas led to widespread discontent among students, who felt the system was discriminatory and favoured supporters of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ruling Awami League party.

The government had already suspended the quotas in 2018 after massive student protests, but their reinstatement by the Supreme Court in June sparked new tensions and a fresh wave of protests.

The Supreme Court decision reduced the quota from 30% to 5% for family members of veterans, with 93% of positions now to be filled on the basis of merit. The remaining 2% are allocated to racial minorities, transgender people and people with disabilities. Despite these changes, the reduction fell short of protesters’ demands for the complete elimination of all quotas.

The unrest, described as one of the worst during Hasina’s tenure, led to the closure of universities and a nationwide internet shutdown, while the government imposed a stay-at-home order. The protests escalated into violent clashes, with police using tear gas, rubber bullets and smoke grenades against stone-throwing demonstrators. While authorities did not release official casualty figures, local reports put the death toll at least 103, while other sources put the number at 151.

The situation worsened when soldiers were deployed to patrol major cities. Interior Minister Asaduzzaman Khan announced a temporary relaxation of stay-at-home orders for essential shopping and declared national holidays to contain the crisis.