Indian Nationals Asked To Limit Movement Outside Home In Protest-Hit Bangladesh

Bhubaneswar: The Indian High Commission in Bangladesh issued an advisory on Thursday asking Indian nationals, including students, living in the Asian nation asking them ‘to minimise their movement outside house, amid the ongoing clashes there against a controversial quota system in government jobs.

According to a report in the Firstpost, as many as six persons, including four students, died and more than 400 others were injured in the protests, mainly staged by students. The protestors are demanding reforms in the quota system in government jobs.

The Indian High Commission has issued 24-hour emergency numbers for Indian nationals living in the protest-hit country. “In view of the ongoing situation in Bangladesh, the Indian community members and the Indian students residing in Bangladesh are advised to avoid travel and minimise their movement outside their living premises,” the advisory read.

The protesting students had also called for a complete nationwide shutdown on Thursday (July 18) in response to the actions of the security forces, according to the media reports. In a Facebook post, Asif Mahmud—a key coordinator of the protest—asked all establishments, barring hospitals and emergency services, to remain closed. His post stated that only ambulance services would be permitted to operate.

Know what’s causing protest in Bangladesh
Protests erupted in the country following a June 5 order of the Bangladesh High Court. The court order reinstated the 30% job quota for freedom fighters and their descendants in government jobs. The reservation was repealed in 2018 after a massive agitation led by students and teachers.

According to reports, 56% of the government jobs in Bangladesh were reserved for various categories till 2018. The majority of the reservation, some 30%, was reserved for family members of veterans, who had fought the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war. For women and people from the underprivileged districts, there was 10% reservation for each of these two categories. The tribal community members had 5% reservation, while it was 1% for the disabled.

The protests erupted after the High Court order on June 5 and intensified after July 7. Now, protestors are demanding removal of discriminatory quotas from all grades. They are also asking to limit the overall reservation to 5% for people from the backward class.

On July 15, the protests turned violent. Clashes broke out between the anti-quota protestors, Bangladesh Chhatra League (the student wing of the ruling Awami League) and the Bangladesh police in many universities across the country.