Students in Bangladesh call for leadership change as protests against quota system turn violent

Protests against a job quota system in Bangladesh have turned violent. The World’s host Carolyn Beeler speaks with Samina Luthfa, who teaches sociology at the University of Dhaka, about why people are upset.

The World

July 19, 2024

By Stephen Snyder

In Bangladesh, students have taken to the streets in demonstrations that have left at least 25 people dead so far.

They’re protesting the return of a quota system that reserves civil service jobs for specific categories of people in the country.

For example, 10% of jobs go to women, 5% to religious and ethnic minorities and 30% to children and grandchildren of people who fought for the country’s independence in 1971. A lot of the protesters are students, presumably headed into the job market.

Students protesting in the New Market area of Dhaka, Bangladesh, on July 16.Mahmud Hossain Opu/AP

To quell the upheaval, the government has imposed what’s being called a complete shutdown of the country starting with universities and high schools, including the University of Dhaka, where Samina Luthfa teaches sociology.

“Today, we have seen even more violence,” Luthfa said. “The violence actually started on July 15. The crackdown was specifically brutal because it was younger children, so they were high schoolers and students from private universities.”

“We saw that it’s no longer about the quota reforms,” Luthfa added. “Now, it is against the violence — this excessive violence that the government has been using.”

Carolyn Beeler: So, you’re saying these protests have been going on for weeks against the quota system, but today specifically, it has kind of morphed in response to the violence that protesters have met?

Samina Luthfa: From yesterday, yes.

And that’s from various security forces, from the government. How much are these protests about perceived inequalities in this quota system, and were the quotas — kind of contrarily — set up to begin with to reduce inequality?

It was actually, because, according to the Constitution of Bangladesh, our state is supposed to provide special attention to communities that are disadvantaged
and marginalized. The quotas are for people with special needs and disabilities,
people who are from ethnic Indigenous minority communities, people who are from backward districts and people who are from the families of “freedom fighters” [of the Bangladesh Liberation War] and women.

However, the students now think that, since most of them are coming from disadvantaged backgrounds themselves, this is unfair for their competitiveness in getting jobs. So, that’s why they wanted to reduce it accordingly, logically, rationally.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina scrapped these quotas back in 2018. The High Court of Bangladesh reinstated them last month, which is what has been triggering these
protests. Where does the prime minister stand right now?

Last night, she gave a speech addressing the whole nation, and it didn’t have much of the context. She said she feels sorry about the loss of lives. Right after what she said yesterday, police and forces, as well as the political goons, have been doing more repressive attacks on students. So, what she said last night and what the police are doing today are completely different.

And today, what happened was the law minister spoke in a press briefing saying that the prime minister is going to reform the whole quota system and they agreed to sit with the protesters today and change everything. So today, it’s clear that they are trying to appease the student protesters. However, in the evening, the student protesters’ coordinators spoke and they said that they are not going to agree to sit with this government that has blood on its hands. So, it’s a stalemate.

So, the government has said that it will meet with the protesters. But, now the protesters have said they actually don’t want to sit down and speak with those in charge. What exactly do they want? Are they asking for the abolishment of all of these quotas still? Is that the demand?

I think it’s no longer about the quota reform anymore. It’s about the violence. So, what they expected is that they want the violence to stop first. If you want to sit with them in a dialogue, you first need to stop killing them, for example.

Students clash with riot police during a protest against a quota system for government jobs, in Dhaka, Bangladesh on July 18.Rajib Dhar/AP

Are you hearing from students and faculty that you work with about their feelings and concerns with all this happening? I’m curious, what’s the vibe right now there?

At the moment, the University Teachers Network, Bangladesh is the most consolidated or organized form of teachers protesting against this violence. We gave a response today in the press saying how we condemn the killings. Also, we are hearing that people are asking for a change in the power.

What concerns do you have about how these protests and and the response to
them unfold going forward?

I don’t know what the way forward is. Today, it’s really depressing and sad to see so many lives lost to a cause which could have been solved really peacefully, amicably and through dialogue.

Students advocating for quota reform in public service hold a mock funeral on July 17 at the University of Dhaka in memory of those who died during clashes.Rajib Dhar/AP

Now that there has been bloodshed, what concerns do you have about these protests going forward?

I am concerned about seeing more deaths and more lives lost. This is the, sort of, top priority for any one of us now. All the citizens are restless and they want to get out and try to stop these from happening.

However, it’s not that easy because, not only students, but also passersby and onlookers were killed as well. What we see to be the solution is, first, to stop the violence, to make the police stop attacking the students or anyone. And to open the university so that the regular process of peacefully protesting can be reinstated. The students are also talking about change of leadership at the top, which I don’t know if that is a feasible possibility yet.

One last question. When do you think you might be able to return to the classroom?

I don’t know, but I would like to do that as soon as possible.

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

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