Unrest in Bangladesh: More than 100 people have died in protests against controversial hiring rules for civil servants.
Dhaka:
Amid the unrest in Bangladesh, the official websites of the Prime Minister’s Office, the Central Bank and the Bangladesh police appeared to have been hacked by a group calling itself “THE R3SISTANC3”.
In identical messages on the three sites, “Operation HuntDown, Stop Killing Students,” adding in red font: “It’s not a protest anymore, it’s a war now.”
The message reads: “The peaceful protests by our brave students have been met with brutal violence and murder, orchestrated by the government and its political cronies. This is no longer a mere protest; this is a war for justice, freedom and our future .”
The group further said: “We urgently call on hackers, OSINT researchers and journalists to join our cause. We need your skills, your information and your courage to take decisive action. The time for passive observation is over.”
Another message at the bottom of the site says: “Get ready. The fight for justice has begun.” The website also featured photos of five men and two dogs, without mentioning any details about them.
The unrest was sparked by students who have long demanded an overhaul of the quota system, which originally reserved 30 percent of government jobs for descendants of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence.
Critics argued that this system favored allies of the ruling Awami League party, which led the liberation movement against Pakistan. More than 100 people died in protests against controversial hiring rules for public servants.
Following protests that resulted in the deaths of more than 100 people due to controversial hiring rules for civil servants, the Bangladesh Supreme Court decided to reduce the quota reserved for families of war veterans from 30% to 5%, while allowing 93% allocation based on merit and the remaining 2 percent will go to members of ethnic minorities, transgender individuals and people with disabilities, Al Jazeera reported, citing local reports.
The verdict, handed down on Sunday, comes after weeks of demonstrations led predominantly by students. Tensions came to a head when clashes broke out between protesters and groups allegedly linked to the Awami League, resulting in accusations of excessive force by police against protesters, as reported by Al Jazeera.
Previously, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government had attempted to abolish the quota system in 2018. However, the High Court reinstated it last month, reigniting public outrage and sparking fresh protests.
Throughout the unrest, the government imposed strict measures, including a curfew, the deployment of military forces and a communications blackout that isolated Bangladesh from the outside world.
Reports emerged that police used tear gas, rubber bullets and smoke grenades to disperse protesters, exacerbating public anger. Hasina defended the quota system and highlighted the contributions of veterans to the nation’s independence, regardless of their political affiliations. However, his government’s efforts to portray the protesters as unpatriotic further fueled anger among protesters.
The Bangladesh government’s decision to cut telephone and internet connections contributed to what was described as an “information blackout”. The authorities’ tough response has intensified calls for broader political reforms beyond the quota issue, with growing demands for the government to resign.
Protesters claimed that the demonstrations were not just about job quotas, but also about the loss of life, the destruction of property and the stifling of the flow of information. Political analysts called the protests a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, suggesting the government faced a significant challenge to its legitimacy.
Despite the turmoil, opinions differed on the potential outcomes, with some predicting the political survival of Hasina’s administration, while others speculated about the protesters’ ability to maintain pressure for systemic change.
The court’s decision to scale back the quota system was met with cautious optimism by some protesters, although the broader implications remained uncertain amid ongoing restrictions and tensions. In response to the escalating crisis, Hasina’s government declared holidays and restricted non-essential services to manage the situation, Al Jazeera reported.
(Except the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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