IN Sri Lanka, activists from various student organizations and associations flocked outside Bangladesh’s High Commission in Colombo to oppose police brutality and express solidarity with Bangladeshi students.
The demonstrators held placards that read, ‘Stop killing students now’ and ‘Stop the brutal killings of students in Bangladesh.’
Minor scuffles with police occurred as protesters tried to deliver a petition.
“There are brutal attacks against the students and the general public. Sheikh Hasina has already killed around 150 students and others in Bangladesh,” said Nuwan Bopage, Lawyer and Activist.
In the existing Bangladeshi system, one-third of public sector roles are set aside for relatives of veterans who fought in the 1971 War of Independence.
Bangladeshi students claim that the arrangement is discriminatory and are pushing for a recruitment process based solely on merit.
This led them to protest on the streets, the unrest, however, led to a nationwide curfew and a ‘shoot-on-sight’ order in Bangladesh. Authorities also cut mobile internet to quell protests.
Media reports indicate at least 163 deaths in clashes over the job quota system, though Bangladeshi authorities have not confirmed the toll.
Meanwhile, due to the deadly protest, Bangladesh’s highest court suspended the current quota system in what is seen as a partial victory for the students.
