This July, thousands of people have taken to the streets in protest against the government in Bangladesh under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Bangladesh is a country in South Asia dominated by imperialism—and, as the letter from supporters of the new communism in Bangladesh that appears in this issue of revcom.us notes, this government has “stripped away all the rights of the people, mainly to protect the interests of the imperialists and the crony ruling class intertwined with imperialism.” The protests have been met with a bloody crackdown. Close to 200 protesters have been killed; student protest leaders say the number is several times more. Hundreds have been jailed. Video footage from the protests analyzed by Amnesty International confirmed that the police and paramilitary forces used teargas and lethal firearms—including shotguns, assault rifles and grenade launchers—against unarmed protesters. In one hospital in the capital, Dhaka, more than 250 people required eye surgeries after being shot in the face by pellets or rubber bullets fired by the police and army.
The protests started as opposition by students and youths to quotas for government jobs. These quotas are a form of patronage and privilege for family members and others connected to the ruling party. By 2018, up to 56 percent of government jobs were reserved under quotas, leading to discontent among broad numbers of students shut out of these higher-paying jobs. Protests led the Hasina government to abolish the quota system. But in June 2024, the 56 percent quota system was reinstated, sparking renewed protests. On July 21, in the face of protests, the Supreme Court ruled that 93 percent of government jobs must be awarded on merit. But this did not address the rampant corruption and cronyism that people say characterizes the Hasina rule and the situation of many millions of unemployed and underemployed people, including among the youth.
The government is trying to suppress news of protests. But some cellphone footage has gotten out showing security forces firing at protesters and dumping bodies on the road. Some students say they have been tortured. The army and police have been surrounding neighborhoods, going into homes and stopping people on the street. Protesters are fighting back, including attacking police vehicles. This crackdown is a continuation of the vicious repression over the past 15 years. Between 2009 and 2022, there have been nearly 2,500 reported extrajudicial (with no due process in court) executions.
The protesters have been dispersed for now according to news reports, but they are vowing to be back in the streets if their demands are not met. Many protesters say this struggle is no longer just about the quotas but about justice for those who have been killed and opposition to the ruling regime as a whole.