Student leaders in Bangladesh have launched a civil disobedience campaign, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and seeking justice for those arrested or killed in recent anti-quota protests. Demonstrations in Dhaka on August 4, 2024, saw police and ruling party supporters reportedly using live ammunition, tear gas, and rubber bullets against protesters, with the death toll now exceeding 270 since the protests began in July.
Prime Minister Hasina has labeled the protesters as “terrorists” intent on destabilizing the nation. Law and Justice Minister Anisul Huq accused them of committing acts of arson. Despite a government ruling that reduced the controversial quota system, protesters continue to demand Hasina’s resignation.
Bangladesh’s army chief, General Wakiruzzaman, stated that the army will support the people and assess the security situation, emphasizing the military’s role in maintaining order. The protests initially began over a policy reserving a significant portion of civil service jobs for relatives of veterans from the 1971 independence war, but have now evolved into broader calls for political reform and accountability.
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