In Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, anti-government protesters set fire to some government buildings and police stations. The unrest resulted in the country's internet being shut down on Thursday, July 18, cutting off residents' connections with the outside world. Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina called on protesters to stop their activities.
The protests concern the forms of employment in the country, the problem of unemployment and the lack of access to education.
As described by “The Guardian”the protests that have been ongoing since early July are primarily aimed at the quota system for government job recruitment in Bangladesh. The students want the state to stop allocating 30 percent of government positions to the families of veterans who fought in the 1971 war of independence from Pakistan. According to some experts, this system benefits pro-government groups that support Prime Minister Hasina, who has ruled the country since 2009.
What is also important, young residents raise the problem of unemployment, mainly among representatives of their social group. It turns out that in Bangladesh almost one fifth of the population does not have a job or has no access to basic education.
Bangladesh. Riots take their toll. Services report many casualties
According to official figures from the Bangladeshi government, 39 people have died since the protests began. The private Independent Television also reported that 702 people were injured in Thursday's clashes alone, including 104 police officers and 30 journalists. The injured protesters are said to have traces of tear gas and rubber bullets used by the police.