Bangladesh violence: 32 killed-Why students protesting?

Over 2,500 people have been injured and at least 32 people have died in bangladesh as a result of the escalating violence during student protests calling for the reform of the quota system for government jobs. A day after prime minister Sheikh Hasina made an appearance on the network in an attempt to defuse the worsening conflicts, the rallies took an even more nasty turn on thursday when the protesting students set fire to the nation's state broadcaster. Weeks have passed since hundreds of university students in Dhaka and other towns staged protests against the public sector job reservation system, which includes a quota for the family of war heroes who fought for the nation's independence from pakistan in 1971.

What set off the protests in Bangladesh?

The government of prime minister Sheikh Hasina had decided to do away with the government job quota in 2018, but the Bangladesh high court overturned that decision, sparking demonstrations that started last month. After the government appealed, the supreme court, however, set august 7 as the date for hearing the government's petition and postponed the high court's order. When Sheikh Hasina refused to accede to the students' requests, citing legal processes, the rallies became more violent.

Following conflicts between thousands of anti-quota protestors and members of Hasina's Awami League party's student branch, they turned violent this week. To no effect, the police also used noise grenades, tear gas, and rubber bullets to scatter the demonstrators. Authorities have closed the metro rail system within the city as well as the trains that travel to and from Dhaka since thursday afternoon due to the unrest. Additionally, the government issued orders to shut down mobile internet networks in a number of the nation's regions. Outage monitor Netblocks reported that there was a "near-total internet shutdown" in Bangladesh.

According to PTI, the bangladesh Chhatra League, the student arm of the ruling Awami League, had a hacked website and the bangladesh police website was down earlier on Thursday. In response to the growing protests, the government of bangladesh has also decided to close all schools and universities permanently.

What demands do the students have?

Students on protest are calling for the elimination of a quota system that assigns over half of government positions to members of particular groups, such as the offspring of veterans of the nation's 1971 war of independence against Pakistan.