Bangladesh has been rocked by mass student protests against government job quotas. Local media say clashes between the demonstrators and armed police have left at least 25 people dead and more than 2,000 injured.
The protesters are demanding an end to the quota system on government jobs, which reserves up to 30 percent of these positions for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s war of independence in 1971. However, high unemployment among young people has left many upset with this arrangement.
The government had previously halted the job quotas in 2018 following mass student protests. But last month, the country’s High Court nullified that decision and reinstated the quotas, triggering the unrest.
Violent confrontations between demonstrators and police have occurred in various parts of the country since Tuesday. Police fired tear gas at protesters blocking a road in the capital Dhaka on Thursday. Local media reported 19 people died on that day alone.
In response to the spread of the protests, authorities have closed schools for the time being.