Student-Led Protests Challenge Inequality in Bangladesh

Bangladeshi students lead nationwide demonstrations against a controversial quota system, exposing deeper issues of inequality and corruption.

Jul 24, 2024

The Facts:

The ongoing protests in Bangladesh have their roots in a longstanding quota system for government jobs that was initially established over five decades ago by the country's founding leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. This system was designed to ensure that the descendants of those who fought in the 1971 war of independence from Pakistan would have a guaranteed share of government employment. However, the quota system has been a source of resentment among the broader population, as it has disproportionately benefited a small number of people associated with the ruling Awami League party, which played a major role in the liberation struggle.

Today, the descendants of the freedom fighters make up only a tiny fraction of Bangladesh's population, estimated to be between 0.12% and 0.2%. However, public-sector jobs are highly sought after but difficult to obtain, with over 300,000 students competing for around 4,000 government positions each year. The quota system was originally created in 1972 to support those who fought in the war of independence, but it was later expanded to include their descendants, leading to the perpetuation of a favored class.

The protests were sparked by the Bangladeshi High Court's decision in June to reinstate the quota system, which had been previously abolished. This led to widespread student-led demonstrations, with protesters demanding a merit-based system for government jobs. Students have been at the forefront of protest movements in Bangladesh's history, and the current movement is led by a new organization called Students Against Discrimination.

According to Ali Riaz, a politics professor at Illinois State University, "It is not spearheaded by any political party, so more people are inclined to join," illustrating how the movement has managed to bring together a diverse group of protesters under a common, nonpartisan banner.

As the protests intensified, the government responded with a heavy-handed crackdown, imposing curfews, internet blackouts, and even declaring a public holiday in an attempt to maintain order. The government's responses, including the internet blackout and the use of "shoot-on-sight" orders, are a clear indication of its unwillingness to engage in meaningful dialogue with the protesters.

According to experts, the current movement represents the "most formidable and serious challenge to Sheikh Hasina's rule" to date. Hasina, who has been the Prime Minister of Bangladesh for the past 15 years, has been accused of consolidating power through rigged elections, suppressing dissent, and engaging in widespread corruption and human rights abuses. To strengthen her rule Hasina has portrayed herself as a champion of secularism and the war on terror to maintain support from Western countries and India, but this has stoked anti-India sentiment among the Bangladeshi public.

The protesters' anger extends beyond the quota system, as they have also expressed frustration over the country's economic challenges, including high rates of youth unemployment, inflation, and the uneven distribution of wealth. The uneven distribution of wealth and opportunities in Bangladesh is a significant driver of the unrest. While the country has experienced impressive economic growth, the benefits have not been equitably shared, leading to rising inequality and high youth unemployment. Corruption has also been a major source of discontent, with allegations of nepotism and graft. Additionally, the government's crackdown on free expression, with journalists and editors being threatened and arrested, has further stoked public outrage.

As Saad Hammadi, a policy and advocacy manager at the Balsillie School of International Affairs in Waterloo, Ontario, described it, "It was a volcanic eruption of all the frustrations people had been living with." This quote captures the underlying factors that fueled the anger and led to the widespread protests.

The Supreme Court's recent ruling to significantly reduce the quota system for children and grandchildren of war veterans, from 30% to 5%, now reserving only 7% of posts, has not calmed protesters. The underlying issues of inequality, corruption, and the lack of democratic freedoms remain unresolved, and it remains to be seen whether this move will be sufficient to quell the ongoing unrest. An outright military coup is unlikely, but the army could potentially facilitate a civilian caretaker government to oversee new elections, as it has done in the past. There are hopes that a new kind of leadership will emerge from the current movement, not from the traditional political parties but from the young citizens who spearheaded it.

The View:

The situation in Bangladesh is a troubling reflection of the country's political and economic realities. The protests over the controversial job quota system are not merely about the quota system itself, but rather a manifestation of a widespread malaise in the country. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government has failed to address the legitimate grievances of the people, instead resorting to heavy-handed tactics to quell the protests.

The quota system, which disproportionately benefits the ruling party's supporters, has served as a catalyst for a much broader uprising against Hasina's authoritarian rule. The quota system has created a political class and a hierarchy, as well as a class of wealthy people who have benefited disproportionately from the country's economic growth.

If Hasina survives the current crisis, she will need to prioritize the welfare of Bangladesh's vulnerable people and make their lives better.Ideally, Bangladesh's future should align with its founding ideals of being a multireligious and multiethnic republic, as envisioned by the 1971 generation.

TLDR:

The protests in Bangladesh have their roots in a longstanding quota system for government jobs, established over five decades ago.
The quota system was designed to ensure the descendants of those who fought in the 1971 war of independence from Pakistan would have a guaranteed share of government employment.
However, the quota system has been a source of resentment among the broader population, as it has disproportionately benefited a small number of people associated with the ruling Awami League party.
The protests were sparked by the Bangladeshi High Court's decision to reinstate the quota system, which had been previously abolished.
The protesters are demanding a merit-based system for government jobs, and the movement is being led by a new organization called Students Against Discrimination.
The government's response has been heavy-handed, including curfews, internet blackouts, and "shoot-on-sight" orders, indicating an unwillingness to engage in meaningful dialogue.
The current movement represents the "most formidable and serious challenge to Sheikh Hasina's rule" to date, as it extends beyond the quota system to include broader issues of inequality, corruption, and lack of democratic freedoms.
The Supreme Court's recent ruling to reduce the quota system has not calmed the protests, as the underlying issues remain unresolved.