Over 100 killed, curfew imposed in Bangladesh due to violence over quota row; Indian students return

The Bangladesh government has imposed a nationwide curfew and deployed the army following deadly clashes that erupted from student protests over government job allocations, resulting in at least 105 deaths and numerous injuries.

The Sheikh Hasina-led government in Bangladesh imposed a nationwide curfew late on July 19 to maintain order, along with a complete internet blackout.

The decision came hours after police and security officials fired bullets and threw tear gas on protesters and banned all gatherings in Dhaka.

The protests began last month in Dhaka and other cities against reservation in public sector jobs, which allocates a significant portion of government jobs to specific groups, including the relatives of war heroes who fought for the country's independence from Pakistan in 1971.

Initially, the protests were peaceful, but violence rose at the start of this week after student protesters were attacked by activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League party.

The protest reached a critical point after demonstrators set fire to the country's state broadcaster. Taking the dire situation into account, authorities shut the metro rail inside the capital alongside the railway services to and from Dhaka.

The mobile internet networks have also been shut down across several parts of the country while schools and universities are shut indefinitely.

The quota system which was abolished by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2018 as a result of student protests has been in place since 1972.

Critics are of the view that reserved jobs for veterans benefit a small group of people affiliated with the Awami League, which led the independence movement.

The scheme benefits children of pro-government groups that back 76-year-old PM Hasina who has been in power since 2009 and won her fourth consecutive election this January after a vote without genuine opposition.

Rights groups have accused Hasina's government of misusing state institutions to maintain its grip on power and suppress dissent, including the extrajudicial killing of opposition activists.

Her administration this week ordered schools and universities to close indefinitely as police stepped up efforts to bring the deteriorating law and order situation under control.

Unemployment is a raging issue in Bangladesh, where 40% of youth are neither working nor in university.
Although the Supreme Court suspended the High Court’s reinstatement of the quotas after a government appeal, PM Hasina's refusal to meet the students' demands, citing ongoing court proceedings, has further fueled the unrest.

The matter is slated to be heard on August 7, when the government will challenge the High Court ruling.

Meanwhile, Indian students are now returning home using any available means. The External Affairs Ministry on July 20 said that 778 Indian students have returned via various land ports, with an additional 200 students using regular flight services through Dhaka and Chittagong airports.

Reportedly, several Indian students took a six-hour-long journey through a taxi, and a security escort. In Meghalaya, officials said over 200 Indians crossed the border, of which a few are from Bhutan and Nepal who have also entered India.

The Indian High Commission in Dhaka also issued an advisory asking Indian nationals to exercise caution and limit their movement. The Commission is in contact with over 4000 students in Bangladesh, offering essential support. Reportedly, 8500 Indian students study in Bangladesh, mostly in medical colleges.

Many of the students who have returned were pursuing MBBS degrees and belong to states like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Meghalaya, Jammu and Kashmir. Necessary assistance is also being provided to students from Nepal and Bhutan as they requested to cross into India.

The students returned on July 19 using two key routes, the international land port at Akhurah near Agartala in Tripura and the international land port at Dawki in Meghalaya.

They initially thought the situation would get better but eventually decided to temporarily leave Bangladesh after internet and telephone services were shut, cutting them off from their families.

"I am a second-year student at the Marine City Medical College and Hospital in Chittagong. The situation is getting worse and many restrictions have been put in place, which is why we have returned. Many other students have also come back. The internet is not working and we were not able to get in touch with our families. We could not get flight tickets and had to take the road route to Agartala instead of flying home," Aamir, a student from Haryana was quoted as saying.

An official said 67 of the students were from Meghalaya and seven from Bhutan, adding that the state government was in touch with the Bangladesh High Commission and the Bangladesh Land Port Authority to facilitate the safe return of Indians.