Bangladesh declares day of mourning for victims of unrest

• Bangladesh’s government declared a day of mourning for victims of violence amid nationwide unrest.
• Students criticized the move as disrespectful to classmates killed during clashes with police.
• The clashes were among the worst during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year tenure.

On Tuesday, Bangladesh’s government declared a day of mourning for victims of violence amid nationwide unrest. However, students criticized the gesture as disrespectful to classmates killed during clashes with police earlier this month. Student protests against civil service job quotas led to several days of violence, resulting in at least 206 deaths, including several police officers, according to an AFP count of police and hospital data.

The clashes were among the worst during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year tenure, but her government has largely restored order through mass arrests, troop deployments, and a nationwide internet shutdown, which was lifted on Sunday. Her administration stated that on Tuesday, the violence, destruction of government buildings, and “terrorist activities” at the height of the unrest would be solemnly marked with prayers in mosques across the nation.

Students Against Discrimination, the group that organized the initial protests, claimed that the government’s announcement aimed to deflect blame for the death toll from the police.

“Instead of ensuring justice for the mass murders committed by the state forces, students have been cruelly mocked,” Mahin Sarker, one of the group’s coordinators, said in a statement.

The Daily Star newspaper reported that the police have arrested more than 10,000 people following the unrest, which has led rights groups to criticize the extent of the dragnet.

“The mass arrest and arbitrary detention of student protesters is a witch hunt by the authorities to silence anyone who dares to challenge the government,” Amnesty International’s Smriti Singh said in a statement.

Troops continue to patrol urban areas, and a nationwide curfew remains in effect. However, the government has progressively eased the curfew since the start of last week, signaling its confidence in regaining control. Protests began this month in response to the reintroduction of a quota scheme that reserves more than half of all government jobs for certain groups.

With around 18 million young Bangladeshis unemployed, according to government figures, graduates facing a severe job crisis were deeply upset by the move. Critics argue that the quota system is used to fill public jobs with loyalists of the ruling Awami League. After the unrest, the Supreme Court significantly reduced the number of reserved jobs but did not fully meet protesters’ demands to eliminate the most contentious aspects of the system.

At 76, Hasina has ruled Bangladesh since 2009 and secured her fourth consecutive election victory in January, following a vote without genuine opposition. Rights groups accuse her government of misusing state institutions to consolidate power and suppress dissent, including through the extrajudicial killing of opposition activists. Protests had remained largely peaceful until police and pro-government student groups attacked demonstrators.

“There must be full accountability for the numerous instances of use of excessive and lethal force by the law enforcement authorities against protesters and others,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement Tuesday.

Hasina’s government has accused opposition parties of hijacking the protests to incite unrest. Over the weekend, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan told reporters that security forces had acted with restraint but were compelled to open fire to defend government buildings.

Also Read

Bangladesh students promise to restart protests unless leaders are released

 The group's leaders, including Nahid Islam, have been detained and their cases...