Report by Syed Atiq ul Hassan, Tribune International (Australia), 22 July 2024.
After significant turmoil on the streets of major Bangladeshi cities, where dozens were killed and hundreds injured, daily business activities seized, and internet and media were blocked, protesters
have brought Hasina’s government to its knees. In response, Bangladesh’s Supreme Court has scaled back a controversial government job quota system that triggered deadly nationwide unrest last week. However, protesters vow to continue their demonstrations until the government fully meets their demands.
Despite the military and police presence and a curfew with minimal breaks, the streets are relatively calm following the court ruling. Nevertheless, student leaders are committed to maintaining their protests until key demands are met, including the release of those jailed and the resignation of officials responsible for the violence.
Protesters have been demanding the abolition of a 30 percent job quota for descendants of the 1971 liberation war veterans. The new court ruling stipulates that 93 percent of jobs should be allocated based on merit, with only a 5 percent reservation for relatives of freedom fighters and 2 percent for members of ethnic minorities, transgender individuals, and disabled people. Protests began after the High Court reinstated the controversial quota system last month, escalating to violence when governing party workers attacked demonstrating students. The court has now temporarily suspended its decision.
The Bangladeshi community across Australia is deeply disturbed and outraged by the ongoing brutal actions taken against civil protests advocating for the ban of the prejudiced quota system.
Dr. Nargis Banu, a representative of the Bangladeshi community who attended a protest in the Sydney suburb of Lakemba, stated, ” I don’t understand why we need a 30% quota for freedom fighters now, considering that the liberation war was in 1971. Hundreds of thousands of students are jobless and see no future in securing a government job. We expatriates support the students in Bangladesh because it is a fair demand. Nowhere else in the world is there a quota for the grandchildren of freedom fighters. The government uses this quota to give jobs to their favoured individuals. They have already killed more than 300 innocent students. As a result, everyone in Bangladesh wants to see Hasina’s government step down. People do not feel safe under this regime. Their demands were not political, yet the government employed their political party affiliates to assault both male and female students. The police even opened fire on the protesters. The government has also cut off internet services and imposed a curfew. We have lost all contact with our family and friends and are unable to access any news updates as online services are blocked.”
To demonstrate solidarity with students in Bangladesh and protest against the prejudiced and discriminatory quota system, dozens of members of the Bangladeshi community, along with their families, gathered in Lakemba, a prominent Muslim-majority suburb of Sydney. The demonstrators chanted slogans against Hasina’s government, demanding the abolition of the unjust quota system and the implementation of a merit-based system throughout the country. They also called for the release of all individuals detained during peaceful demonstrations in major Bangladeshi cities. Additionally, they demanded accountability for law enforcement officers involved in violence during the protests.
It is hoped that the government will address the situation that has paralyzed routine business affairs and accept the demands of the youth, who are the future and custodians of Bangladesh.
Following are the images of the demonstration held on Sunday, 21 July 2024, in Lakemba (Sydney), NSW.
Note: Thanks and credit to Dr. Nargis Banu and Abdullah Yousuf for providing images for this report.
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