Bangladesh: 174 Killed, 2,500 Arrests in Student-Led Protests over Jobs, Inequality & Corruption

Published 2024-07-23
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The death toll in Bangladesh from a crackdown on massive student protests has risen to at least 174, with more than 2,500 people arrested, after police and soldiers were granted "shoot-on-sight" orders amid the unrest. The protests were in response to a highly contested quota system for civil service jobs, with 30% of government positions reserved for relatives of veterans who fought in the country's independence war against Pakistan in 1971. The country's high court rolled that back Sunday to only 5%, but students are still demanding that a curfew be fully lifted, schools reopened, and detained students and protest leaders released. "The collective anger that you're seeing is over inequality, lack of opportunity, and a perception that those who are close to the ruling class and ruling elite are getting all the benefits," says journalist Salil Tripathi, author of a book on the Bangladeshi war of independence.

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All Comments (21)
  • @PeaceTrain1
    As a Bangladeshi, I loved the discussion very much! Hasina must go, she already destroyed every single institutions of Bangladesh! Corrupt and autocrat, no respect for people. Now security forces are invading home to home and killing people and making arrests to calm down the situation! It is worse than 1971 Pak regime. We must get our freedom back.
  • @shyambonita1510
    its a dark time we're living in here at Bangladesh. Keep covering us, these ppl havent have much to cling to except hope!
  • @framemusic3006
    I am from Malaysia 🇲🇾. Please Help Bangladeshi student 🇧🇩✊🏼. Bangladeshi president no good 😢
  • @riazuddin9245
    Wifi connection is restored few hour's ago..but the situation is still getting worse
  • @TipsOK-bw1jz
    I'M FROM BANGLADESH. PLEASE SAVE US. INTERNET IS DOWN FOR 5 DAYS. NOW THEY ARE SAYING THEY WILL ENABLE INTERNET SERVICE HERE BUT THE NET SPEED IS VERY SLOW. I CAN HARDLY OPEN A WEBSITE. THEY ARE KILLING INNOCENT STUDENTS. THEY WILL DO ANYTHING TO SAVE THEIR POWER.
  • @ZahraSobhan
    The ruling party is autocratic, and the only way out of the horrible situation is that students win and the government steps down.
  • @ammumeme5789
    Prime minister Sheik Hasina has deployed troops shooting live bullets against students, mostly teenagers and young adults, because she considers anyone who dissents a "political opponent." The same brutal crackdown happened a few years ago when students as young as 12 and 13, agitated for safe streets to walk to school. There are no term limits for the top office in Bangladesh and Ms. Hasina has been 'elected' a fifth consecutive time amid widespread concerns of vote fraud. At the very least, the current student killings are a spectacular failure to handle legitimate concerns by PM Hasina's government and at worst, the highest number of extrajudicial killings in any 5 days in the history of Bangladesh, outside of the liberation war of '71. Yet, we've seen no accountability, no ministers have stepped down and no attempts to tamp down police and paramilitary violence have been voiced. Ms. Hasina's government has lost the trust of the people and she must step down to let a traumatized nation grieve their young, and heal. The goal of office is not to cling to power at any cost but to serve the people. And the greatest service now would be to step down and be accountable.
  • As a devoted Bangladeshi student, I love this conversation, perfectly true and core. Very brave and accurate
  • @mdshohan6969
    الحكومة الاستبدادية الشيخة حسينة😭😭😭😭😭 Autocratic government Sheikh Hasina😭😭😭😭
  • @handypda
    @Salil ullah, without any prejudice, it was three million who died according to UN, far from a few hundred thousand that you mentioned, and that is the fact, I am afraid!
  • Your videos are always so informative and interesting! Thank you for that! ✨🍓
  • @faisal7044
    She can undo all this worst situation by giving one order of few seconds keeping away her ego . . God bless BD God bless the world Amen