"I remember that day very distinctly. The whole city felt like it was straight out of a dystopian movie," recalled Rahman (name changed), a student of Dhaka University, speaking of July 17, the day he was attacked on his own campus.
"Tanks, police, weaponised forces filled the entire city. We weren’t allowed to carry Bangladesh’s flag, and the police checked us thoroughly, including our phones and ID cards. This shouldn’t be normal, but the fascist government made it so," he added.
The case and its casualties
The quota movement in Bangladesh has taken a violent turn in recent weeks. Over 150 people have officially been reported dead, and a complete blackout of the internet and cellular networks was imposed. What began as a peaceful student protest over a contested job quota has plunged the nation into chaos and violence.
Initially focused on job quotas, the movement has now garnered widespread support from the general public, transforming into a broader fight against what protesters are calling a “fascist regime”.
Rahman emphasised, “We aren’t against reservations. We only wanted reforms, not the abolishment of the quota. Our demands weren’t unjustified.”
He further explained how the reservation in Bangladesh is nothing like the Indian reservation system of affirmative action. “Just the freedom fighters getting a quota is understandable. Their families faced hardship during the independence movement. But their grandchildren? Plus, there are complexities and corruption in the process, that is way deeper than what is seen on the surface," Rahman elaborates.
Peek into the past
To recall, the freedom fighters who fought the Pakistani army and the Razakars (collaborators with the Pakistani forces) in 1971 during the Bangladesh Liberation Movement, also known as the Mukti Bahini, were rightly hailed as heroes.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the first Prime Minister of an independent Bangladesh, established a 30% quota for these freedom fighters, which eventually extended to their children and grandchildren.
As per reports, this law, intended to honour their sacrifice, had become a partisan tool favouring pro-government factions in Civil Service appointments. Critics have long claimed it required reforms and with the rising unemployment in the country, this controversial law felt unfair to most.
Though abolished after protests in 2018, it was reinstated by the court this year. This is the quota that the students have been protesting against.
The government's crackdown on the protests has been severe, with numerous reports of police brutality and mass arrests.
“They are randomly raiding houses these days and detaining students. Thousands of arrests have been made so far,” said Madhurjo (name changed) of Jahangirnagar University. The intense clampdown has forced students to adapt their tactics, shifting their protest from the streets to social media.
Yesterday, on July 29, students gathered around the Press Club in Dhaka but were met with hundreds of police officers, and a few students were even detained.
"We were unable to protest due to the brutal clampdown. The plan was to tie our eyes and faces with red cloth as a symbol of the lack of freedom of speech in this country," said Nusrat from East West University, Bangladesh.
In this context, red has a particular significance.
Bleeding Bangladesh
The Bangladesh government announced a national day of mourning for those who were killed in the anti-government protests. Black badges were worn and prayers were offered. However, in protest, the students chose to wear and promote red on this day.
In response to the curfew and government targeting, many in Bangladesh have turned to online protests, using social media to demand an end to fascism and displaying red in their profiles as a symbol of a “bleeding Bangladesh”.
"We can't protest on the streets anymore," explained Rahman and added, "So we are taking it to social media."
The intensity of the crackdown is evident, as Nusrat pointed out, "In the last 12 days, 12,000 people have been arrested, so you can imagine what the situation is like here."
Reflecting on the broader implications of the movement, Rahman explained the deeper issues at play.
"When a government rigs elections to maintain its grip on power, this is the inevitable result," he claimed. It is worth noting that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been in power since 2009 and in the last election she won her seat without any opposition.
"The walls of our campus echo with the movements that have shaped our country. I am proud of that legacy and to be part of this university," Rahman continued. However, the current climate has drastically changed. "Today, I can't even reveal my affiliation with this university without fearing arrest."
The renewed vigour of the movement comes after the government ignored the students' ultimatum to release prisoners.
Shift in focus
Recently, the Bangladesh Supreme Court stayed a High Court order that had reinstated the controversial quota system for government jobs, which allocated 30% of these jobs to relatives of veterans from the 1971 independence war.
However, the focus of the protests has shifted as many students have been detained by the government.
Despite the Supreme Court reducing the veterans' quota to 5%, with 93% of jobs now to be filled based on merit and the remaining 2% reserved for ethnic minorities, transgender individuals, and people with disabilities, the protesters remain unsatisfied.
Rahman also expressed deep concerns about the escalating tensions, noting the potential for further unrest.
"This situation is volatile," he explained and added, "I don’t know if this will turn into a civil war, but when a fascist government leaves its citizens with no other option, revolution comes naturally."
He further noted that the movement had grown beyond the issue of quotas. "It's about more than just job allocations now — it's about the broader fight for democracy and justice. I couldn't even vote in the last election, and that frustration has only intensified over time. The government can't simply erase the history and legitimacy of this movement. In any society where freedom is suppressed, resistance will inevitably rise."
As the situation intensifies, students are calling for the resignation of key government officials, including the Home Minister, Law Minister, and Education Minister. They demand an apology from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the immediate release of all political prisoners detained this month, along with justice for those who have been martyred.
