Following the wide-scale student protests against the quota system in Bangladesh and the police violence, the Bangladesh government announced a nationwide curfew on July 19 and deployed police, Border Guard, and Rapid Action Batallion forces to “control the conflict”.
The government also banned internet services across the nation the day before, that is, July 18, after the websites of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheik Hasina were hacked allegedly by the protesting students.
In addition, the government also issued “shoot on sight” orders to the police and armed forces, who regularly patrolled the streets during the curfew.
Thus, the strict curfew and internet shutdown forced the country into a total blackout for five days until telecommunication services were partially restored in the country on July 23, and the curfew got a seven-hour relaxation on July 24.
Meanwhile, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh ruled on July 21 that only 5 per cent of the public service commission posts can be reserved for the children and grandchildren of the veterans of the Bangladesh Liberation War.
To recall, students in Bangladesh launched an agitation against the quota system of Bangladesh, which reserved 30 per cent of the public service commission posts for descendants of Bangladeshi freedom fighters, most of whom belong to and support the ruling Awami League, early in July. According to the protesting students, the quota system only consolidated the Awami League's voter base.
News reports state that these protests, counter-protests by the Bangladesh Chhatro League, Awami League’s student wing and police action on the protests left about 203 dead, more than 20,000 others injured, and 2,580 arrested across the country.
Police brutality and severe crackdown on dissent
Students involved in the protest claim that the actual number of deaths is more than the reported figures.
“As of July 25, about 1,000 people, including students, have been registered dead in four hospitals across the country,” says D (name withheld on request of anonymity), a student from the University of Dhaka who took part in the protests.
“Hospitals refused to admit patients with gunshot wounds, as doing so would invite legal trouble. As a result, many died from a lack of treatment,” she claims.
She adds that during the curfew, armed forces monitored each area in the country every few minutes. “The armed forces shot anyone on sight, without any discretion. Even children who were looking out from the windows, balconies or terraces were not spared,” she alleges.
D further claims that the police are also conducting combing operations and detaining dissenters en masse from their homes.
She also alleges that on the night of July 25, the police also fired at someone trying to film an arrest at the Bashundara Residential Area in Dhaka.
Even after the curfew was relaxed, the police would check the mobile phones of youngsters stepping out for groceries or other important work, and detained them after finding “questionable” or anti-government content, she adds.
“Many youngsters who were arrested in this manner were not even part of the protests,” she says.
Moreover, she claims that the internet was withheld the longest in areas with the most violence, and those which are Awami League strongholds. “It is clear that the government didn’t want the word of police brutality and Awami League violence to spread on the internet,” she says.
An air of confusion
D claims that the curfews have not only allowed the state machinery to crush dissent but also disrupted the regular functioning of the country.
“Everything has become more expensive after the curfew and internet shutdowns. When I went outside to purchase groceries after the curfew was relaxed, I had to withdraw cash thrice,” she says, further wondering how daily wage labourers and working class families are managing to stay afloat.
Due to the internet blackout, she says that it was difficult for her to receive updates about her friends and others who were part of the protests. However, when the blackout finally ended partially, the news about the deaths and violence inflicted on her fellow students was too overwhelming.
“Everyone I know has lost a friend, relative or younger sibling,” she laments.
Echoing this hopelessness, C (name withheld on request of anonymity) says that there was no way to reach out to fellow protestors during the internet shutdown.
“We did not exchange numbers as we were in touch with each other only via social media platforms. By shutting down the internet and social media platforms, the government aims to not only prevent protestors from communicating with each other but also restrict information on protests and police brutality from spreading,” she says.
She adds, “These five days of curfew felt longer than they were, and the lack of information on my fellow protestors left me with a feeling of uncertainty.”
Won’t stop until demands are met
Despite state repression, protestors are not considering calling off the agitation.
“The quota for freedom fighters’ descendants is still more than the one for minorities. The quota for women, transgender persons and Adivasis is just 2 per cent,” says C.
She adds that the students won’t back down unless their latest demands are met. These demands are:
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina must take responsibility for every student’s death and apologise publicly
The Minister of Home Affairs Asaduzzman Khan and former Road Transport Minister Obaidul Quader must take accountability and resign for killing students using law and order forces
Deputy Inspector Generals, Police Commissioners and Police Superintendents of places where students are killed must be sacked
Vice-Chancellors of Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University and Rajshahi University must resign
Every policeman and every person affiliated with the Chhatro League and other political organisations who murdered and attacked students must be arrested and punished
Every martyr and injured student's family must get compensation
Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University and Rajshahi University must establish Student Unions by banning political organisations including the Chhatro League
All universities and halls must be opened
Students who participated in the quota reform movement must be given the assurance that they will not be subjected to academic or administrative harassment
In addition, D claims that the people of Bangladesh are now upset with the way the government dealt with the anti-quota protests, and wants Sheikh Hasina out of power.
“There used to be this perception that the Awami League is the better alternative among all political parties in the country, but this impression is completely shattered,” she says.
She alleged that people no longer fear the government, and are united in their disapproval of the current prime minister. “Even common people, which includes the so-called apolitical ones, want to see the government thrown out of power,” she claims.
