Bangladesh Faces Unrest Despite Government Concessions

The Bangladesh government agreed to open 93% of state jobs to competition following a Supreme Court ruling, amid student-led protests. However, new student demands, including the lifting of a curfew and restoration of internet, have left the situation unresolved. Unrest continues after violent clashes resulted in 150 deaths.

The Bangladesh government vowed on Tuesday to comply with a Supreme Court ruling mandating that 93% of state jobs be open to competition, addressing a significant student demand after a week of deadly protests. However, students have raised new demands, including scrapping a curfew, restoring internet services, and reopening campuses, casting uncertainty over whether the government's decision will defuse the unrest.

A semblance of calm gripped Dhaka and other major cities for the second day, though security has not been entirely restored, according to the army chief who surveyed the capital by helicopter. Authorities have eased the curfew, allowing residents to shop for essentials from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with offices operating between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

In response to violent clashes that saw almost 150 casualties and over 1,600 arrests, the government has shut down mobile internet and deployed the army nationwide. The Supreme Court's decision to open state jobs to merit, overriding a high court ruling that reinstated quotas abolished in 2018, sparked the protests.

Law Minister Anisul Huq announced compliance with the court's verdict, while protest leader Sarjis Alam demanded further actions within 48 hours, including an apology from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for protester deaths. The unrest poses another challenge for Hasina's administration, which is working to stabilize the economy following an IMF bailout.

The main opposition BNP denies involvement in the violence, while a junior technology minister indicated repairs to telecom infrastructure are underway with broadband services expected to resume soon. However, he did not specify when mobile internet would be restored.