Students in Bangladesh have announced fresh protests for Monday after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s administration failed to meet their demands, which included releasing detained leaders and apologizing for those killed during recent unrest.
According to the AFP, the protests, initially sparked by opposition to civil service job quotas, led to violent clashes that resulted in the deaths of at least 205 people, including several police officers.
The unrest represented some of the most severe violence during Hasina’s 15-year rule. The government responded by deploying troops, enforcing a curfew, and shutting down the internet nationwide to restore order.
Among the thousands arrested since the protests began are at least six leaders of the organizing group, Students Against Discrimination. “The government is continuing to show complete and utter insensitivity to our movement,” stated Abdul Kader, one of the group’s coordinators. He called for a nationwide protest rally, urging all citizens to join their cause.
Students Against Discrimination had set a Sunday evening deadline for the release of their leaders, threatening to resume demonstrations if their demands were not met.
Their demands also include a public apology from Hasina, the dismissal of several ministers, and the reopening of educational institutions closed during the peak of the unrest.
According to Prothom Alo, Bangladesh’s largest daily newspaper, about 9,000 people have been arrested across the country since the protests began.
Troops continue to patrol urban areas, and while a nationwide curfew remains, it has been gradually eased over the past week.
The mobile internet network was restored on Sunday, 11 days after the government imposed a blackout.
The protests erupted in response to the reinstatement of a job quota system that reserves more than half of all government jobs for specific groups.
With approximately 18 million young Bangladeshis unemployed, the move has angered many graduates struggling to find work.
Critics argue that the quota system allows the ruling Awami League to fill public positions with loyalists.
While the Supreme Court reduced the number of reserved jobs last week, it did not fully meet the protesters’ demand to abolish the quota system.
Hasina, who has been in power since 2009 and won her fourth consecutive election in January amid allegations of an unfair vote, faces ongoing criticism from rights groups for allegedly using state institutions to consolidate power and suppress dissent.
