6 people killed in Bangladesh in clashes between students

At least 6 people have been killed in Bangladesh in clashes that erupted between government and anti-government students, according to the BBC. Three lost their lives in the city of Sylhet, 2 in the capital Dhaka, and 1 in Rangpur.

Tens of thousands of people are protesting to abolish the quota for Bangladesh independence war veterans’ family members, which allows them to occupy up to 30% of public sector positions. Schools and universities across Bangladesh have closed indefinitely due to violent clashes.

Quota: a predetermined percentage or share of positions or available resources allocated to a specific group or granted to them, typically based on certain criteria or rules.

Government jobs in Bangladesh are highly sought after due to their competitive salaries. In total, more than half of these positions—amounting to hundreds of thousands of jobs—are reserved for specific groups.

According to the French news agency AFP, those who died in Sitakong suffered gunshot wounds, while one person in Rangpur showed signs of injury. Additionally, in Rangpur, according to Al Jazeera, police used plastic bullets to disperse students who were throwing stones at them.

The protesters in Dhaka accuse government supporters of instigating the violence and causing the deaths of students, and they also criticize the police for failing to intervene to save them.