Bangladesh is reeling from a wave of unrest over quotas for government jobs, with the number of casualties still being tallied. The government puts the official death toll at 150, but according to the Bangladeshi media, at least 210 people, mostly young, lost their lives. Thousands more were injured.

As the protests escalated across the country, internet and mobile networks were shut down to prevent communication among the demontrators. The government deployed the police, the military and the border guard paramilitaries to quell the unrest. Additionally, some protesters reported being attacked by the members of the Chhatra League, the student wing of the ruling party, Awami League.

Some restrictions have since been eased, although social media platforms and educational institutions remain closed.

The mostly spontaneous protests were originally prompted by a court ruling that reintroduced the controversial job quota system. However, they quickly grew to articulate widespread displeasure against the government led by Sheikh Hasina — only half a year since the last national election.

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The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the country's largest opposition party, expressed "surprise" at the emergence of this movement. Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kazal, a member of the party's central committee, said that the protests had unmasked the profound public scepticism towards the ruling Awami League,........

© Deutsche Welle