Solidarity with struggling students and youth of Bangladesh

It has been a week since students and youth of Bangladesh have been protesting on the streets, their demand is simply to end a quota system that reserves up to 30% of government jobs for the relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971 against Pakistan. The quota directly favours the governing party, the Awami League. These protests can be seen as the culmination of dissatisfaction and anger among students who face high unemployment rates, with almost 32 million young Bangladeshis not working or studying out of 170 million people.  The quota system has been in place since 1972 and was abolished by the Sheikh Hasina government in 2018 due to student protests. But an order from the High Court brought it back in June 2024. Currently, the Appellate Division (Supreme Court) stayed the verdict, Students organising the protests have welcomed the decision but decided to continue with demonstrations until their key demands are met, which are a legal amendment against the quotas, including the release of those jailed and the resignations of the officials responsible for the violence.

Universities which are the nucleus of the protests have been closed though students have refused to vacate the campuses and there is a nationwide internet shutdown. Army has been deployed on the streets, all public rallies are banned and shoot-at-sight orders have been given against protesters. Till now more than 150 protesters most of which were students have been killed. The protests were peaceful and non-violent initially but later when non-state actors like the Chatra League were used to unleash brutal violence against protesting students the whole agitation took a violent turn. The attempt by the governing party officials and ministers to portray the demonstrators as “anti-national” and call them “Razakaars” (collaborators of the brutal Pakistani army regime)  further fueled the anger of the protesting students.  The harsh crackdown has fuelled even more anger towards the government, involving the general public and pushing protesters to move beyond calling for quota reform to demanding the government’s resignation. However, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina defended the quota system, arguing that veterans deserved the highest respect for their contributions in the war against Pakistan, regardless of their political affiliation.

PSYA believes that this quota system is to maintain the political power of the Awami League and denies equal opportunities to the common mass of youth who do not have political connections. We condemn the repression being unleashed on the students and youth of Bangladesh. We extend solidarity to the struggling students and wish them success in their fight for justice and stand firmly with the struggling students and youth of Bangladesh.