At least 100 injured in Bangladeshi students’ protest against government job quotas

Violent clashes have erupted in Bangladesh between supporters of the ruling party and protesters opposing the country’s system of job quotas for government positions. At least 100 people have been wounded in the unrest, Al Jazeera reported yesterday.

The quota system reserves over half of civil service jobs for specific groups, including descendants of the 1971 independence war. Critics say the system benefits children of pro-government groups backing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Thousands of students have taken to the streets to demand the quota system be scrapped, leading to fierce battles with ruling party supporters on university campuses. The government has warned it will not allow an “unstable situation to develop”, while protesters vow to continue rallying until the unpopular quotas are fully abolished.

The country’s top court has temporarily suspended the quota system, but the protests show no signs of abating as the debate over affirmative action in Bangladesh rages on.