The United States has condemned the attack on ordinary students agitating for quota reforms in government jobs in Bangladesh. At the same time, besides being aware of the ongoing movement, the country is also monitoring what is happening in Bangladesh on this issue.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said these things in response to a journalist’s question at a regular press conference on Monday (July 15) local time.
In today’s briefing, a journalist wants to know about the movement and the attack on them to demand quota reform in government jobs in Bangladesh. He said that students have been protesting in Bangladesh for the past few days in favor of merit-based recruitment in government jobs and demanding cancellation of quota. Bangladesh Chhatra League, the wing of the ruling party, attacked the protestors shortly after the ruling Prime Minister threatened the protesters, injuring around 500 students. Even the injured students who were being treated in the emergency department entered the hospital and attacked the BCL leaders and activists. What is your position on this massive protest in Bangladesh?
In response, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that the United States is aware of the widespread student protests in various places, including Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. Hundreds of people were injured and two were killed in the attack. We are monitoring this matter.
He added that freedom of expression and peaceful assembly serve as essential foundations for any thriving democracy. We condemn any form of violence against peaceful protesters.
Apart from this, Matthew Miller expressed his condolences to the victims and victims of this violence.
It is to be noted that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said in response to a question about the quota reform movement at the press conference organized on Sunday about the visit to China, ‘Why is there so much anger about the liberation war? The grandchildren of freedom fighters will get nothing, so will the grandchildren of Razakar get everything?’
The students of Dhaka University started protesting on Sunday night, complaining that the quota reform activists were called ‘children or grandchildren of Rajakar’ in the Prime Minister’s speech. First at night, the girl students of Rokeya Hall came out of the hall in a procession. They started chanting ‘Tumi ke ami ke, Razakar Razakar’. At one point, male and female students from all the halls of the university marched in groups and started protesting in front of the Raju sculpture of TSC. After about an hour and a half protest, they returned to the hall.
At the same time (Sunday midnight), students from other universities of the country including Chittagong and Rajshahi universities also took out a protest march protesting the Prime Minister’s speech.
Various universities of the country, including DU, became agitated on Monday over the same issue. Around noon, hundreds of protestors came to Raju Bhaskar of DHA and took a stand. During this time, they raised various slogans demanding the withdrawal of the Prime Minister’s speech. However, their ‘Tumi Ke Ami Ke, Razakar Razakar’ slogan started a lot of discussion-criticism. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader criticized the language of their slogans in separate events.
After that Chhatra League became active in the campus. At around 2 pm, they stopped the agitators in various halls including Vijay 71 Hall. When the agitators rushed to the news, a chase started with the Chhatra League. Both sides threw bricks and stones. From then on, the entire campus became tense.
After 4 pm the situation started to deteriorate. Meanwhile, BCL started attacking the agitators with sticks and sticks. They beat and injured many protestors. Many of them had their heads blown off. Agitators try to resist everywhere. As a result, massive clashes started in different places of the campus.
Hundreds of agitating students were injured in the clash that lasted from 4 pm to 5:30 pm. Most of them are admitted in Dhaka Medical. Besides, some went to other nearby hospitals.
Meanwhile, in the Chittagong University, there was a chase and a clash between the Chhatra League and the agitators from the afternoon. Many were injured there. Apart from this, on Monday afternoon, students of various universities including Rajshahi, Comilla, Khulna joined the movement. They blocked roads and highways at various places.
