Bangladesh Quota Protest: Schools Closed Indefinitely After Deadly Student Protests

Schools across Bangladesh were ordered to close indefinitely on Tuesday following the deaths of six students in violent protests. These demonstrations led to the deployment of paramilitary forces to maintain order.

High schools, Islamic seminaries, and vocational education institutes were instructed to remain shut until further notice due to weeks of escalating protests against civil service hiring policies, as reported by First Post.

Photo Credit: PTI

Bangladesh Quota Protest: Schools Closed Indefinitely

On Tuesday, violence significantly increased as demonstrators clashed with pro-government student groups, using bricks and bamboo rods as weapons, while police dispersed crowds with tear gas and rubber bullets. Education Ministry spokesman M.A. Khair stated that the shutdown order was issued for the "security of the students."

Bangladesh's universities were not included in the closure order, as the education ministry lacks the authority to mandate their closure. Six people were killed on Tuesday as protests continued nationwide, despite calls from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the Supreme Court for students to return to classes, as reported by First Post

In Chittagong, three individuals with bullet injuries died, and another 35 were injured, as confirmed by hospital director Mohammad Taslim Uddin.

In Dhaka, two deaths occurred as rival student groups clashed, blocking key roads and bringing traffic to a halt. Police inspector Bacchu Mia confirmed that one victim succumbed to head injuries, with at least 60 others injured.

In Rangpur, a student died during clashes, with police commissioner Mohammad Moniruzzaman stating that rubber bullets and tear gas were used to disperse protesters. Rangpur Medical College hospital director Yunus Ali confirmed the student's death upon arrival at the hospital.

Paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) forces were deployed in five major cities, including Dhaka and Chittagong, to manage the law and order situation amid the quota protests. Tuesday's clashes followed confrontations the previous day between anti-quota demonstrators and ruling Awami League's student wing members, resulting in over 400 injuries in Dhaka, as reported by First Post.

The protests have called for an end to a quota system that reserves more than half of civil service posts for specific groups, including children of veterans from the 1971 liberation war against Pakistan. Critics argue that the system benefits children of pro-government groups supporting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Amnesty International urged Bangladesh to "immediately guarantee the safety of all peaceful protesters," while US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller condemned the "violence against peaceful protesters," drawing a rebuke from Bangladesh's foreign ministry.