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Published : 16 Jul 2024, 01:55 PM
The US Department of State has condemned the attack by the Chhatra League, the student wing of the ruling Awami, League on students and job seekers staging protests demanding reforms of the quota system. They also mentioned that two people had died in the attack.
The US was aware of and monitoring reports of attacks on widespread student protests in Dhaka and around Bangladesh that have killed two and injured hundreds, Matthew Miller, spokesman of the US Department of State said in response to a question on Monday during the daily briefing.
“The freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are essential building blocks of any thriving democracy, and we condemn any violence against peaceful protesters. Our thoughts are with those who were impacted by this violence.”
Students and job seekers have been staging a movement for two weeks demanding ‘reasonable’ reforms to quotas for government jobs after the top court announced the 2018 circular abolishing the quota system.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has made it clear that the issue of quotas in public sector jobs will have to be decided in court before cautioning that if the ongoing protests turn destructive, they will be dealt with by the law.
During a news conference held at the Gonobhaban on Sunday about her recent trip to China, she responded to a question, saying, "If the grandchildren of freedom fighters don't benefit, does that mean the grandchildren of Razakars [Pakistani collaborators] will?"
The student and job seekers said they were ‘heartbroken’ and staged protests against the prime minister’s statement at Dhaka University and other campuses across Bangladesh on Sunday night. Some of the protesters distorted a historic slogan of the Liberation War, called themselves Razakars, and the government an autocracy.
On Monday, the protesters under the banner of the ‘Anti-Discrimination Student Movement’ and the Chhatra League brought out duelling protest programmes.
At one point the two sides clashed, with the Chhatra League dispersing the protesters by beating them. As many as 300 students sought medical treatment at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital. At least 12 of them were admitted to the hospital.
Following the clash, Chhatra League leaders and activists took control of the Dhaka University campus and residential halls. They were accused of beating the student protesters and driving them away from the halls.
The protesters started to return to the halls after police took up positions on campus in the evening. The Chhatra League leaders and activists also took positions on the campus in groups. They were seen at different halls.
In the meantime, a group of quota protesters started for the Shaheed Minar and were confronted by police. As police prevented them from moving forward, the protesters stayed on the street near Curzon Hall and announced a new programme.
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL’S STATEMENT
Amnesty International strongly condemned the attacks against quota reform protestors in Dhaka University and other campuses across the country, which reportedly injured hundreds of students, it said in a statement on Monday.
“We urgently call on the Government of Bangladesh to immediately guarantee the safety of all peaceful protestors and proper treatment of all those injured,” the statement said.
The description of the violence against protestors is consistent with the kind of violence Amnesty has documented in the past, whereby individuals in civilian clothing, brandishing weapons like hammers, sticks, and clubs interrupted protests and beat up protestors, it said.
The organisation also said that Bangladesh must uphold its obligations under international law and its constitution to fully respect the people’s rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and protect peaceful protestors from further harm.
