Name: More than 150 killed in Bangladesh protests | BBC News
Uploaded: 2024-07-23T03:15:36.000Z
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Bangladesh remains tense with some students having vowed to continue protests a day after the Supreme Court scrapped most of the government job quotas they were demonstrating against.

They want the government to implement the court order before they call off their demonstrations.

More than 150 people have been killed there in a week of violence.

The quota scheme meant a third of jobs were reserved for relatives of veterans from the country's war for independence from Pakistan in 1971.

A warning that this report from our South Asia correspondent Gita Lamai contains distressing images.

Troops on the streets, a strict curfew, a near blackout of communication.

Bangladesh is using all its might to control public anger.

Over the past week students marched on the streets against quotas in government jobs for families of veterans of Bangladesh's war for independence which some say benefits those close to the ruling party.

The police and paramilitary are accused of cracking down on the protests.

In this video verified by the BBC, a young man injured but alive left on the streets by 150 killed.

Outside a Dhaka hospital, Shahida Begum, the aunt of 16-year-old Imam Hussain who succumbed to gunshot injuries.

My nephew was an innocent child why did they kill him in such a brutal way she cried.

Hundreds have been injured in what many describe as the worst violence they've seen.

Three of my friends are dead see there are blood stains on my hand why are my hands colored with the blood of my brothers.

Bangladesh's government has denied that it used violence against unarmed students.

It alleges the protests are politically motivated.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last spoke out on Wednesday.

She promised action against those who've been in power for 15 consecutive years in power.

This is one of the most serious challenges she's faced.

Well let's speak to Kamal Ahmed, an independent British Bangladeshi journalist.

Thank you very much for joining us on BBC News.

I wondered if I could ask by asking you first were you surprised by the levels of demonstrations and indeed the violence there over the last week?

Of course we were surprised because it comes only within six months of an election which election was always disputed.

Nobody especially international community thought that election was free and fair but anyway the new government they took power and some sort of stability was there and so so quick there is such a discontent and demonstration protest it was really unexpected so quick.

Just explain what the students were angry about and whether this Supreme Court decision yesterday will make any difference?

It's too early to say that whether the Supreme Court decision will make any decision because some of the protesting agitating students have said rejected this and said that they also want accountability for this brutal repression.

They want justice for those killings, indiscriminate killings.

You know that the number has gone up up to 175 or a 74.

So it's still unclear what's going to happen but on the other hand the government has accepted the rationale that this high proportion or percentage of government job in quota allocated for the veterans families were not fair.

This unfairness has been admitted now established so it has to be seen how it's being accepted.

Yes and some of the students are saying they're not going to stop protesting until it has actually been implemented.

This is quite a tough thing for the Prime Minister isn't it at the moment?

It is and remember this movement though it started by the students as a quota movement it no longer remained as a quota movement.

All sorts of disgruntled people, angry people they joined this movement because of high inflation, corruption, lack of accountability.

As I said before the elections were rigged so disenfranchisement is another reason.

So combined their force and joined this movement.

So it has to be seen how others are reacting and we don't know because government has imposed an internet shutdown, communication shutdown.

We can't speak to the people on the ground and very limited information is coming out from the ground.

Even yesterday there were trouble and 12 more people were killed yesterday.

Kamal Ahmed, independent British Bangladeshi journalist.

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More than 150 killed in Bangladesh protests | BBC News

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