The ruling Awami League party in Bangladesh has labeled the recent student protests as a threat to the government and an attempt to overthrow it. This statement was made by the party's general secretary, Obaidul Quader.
"This is a threat to our existence. We have to deal with this situation," Quader said during a meeting with party leaders and activists. He claimed that the protests were instigated by opposition forces. "They want to overthrow the elected government. Their use of children and teenagers in the demonstrations shows how desperate they are to grab power," Quader was quoted by the news portal Prothom Alo.
"Why would ordinary students take to the streets with guns and resort to violence? The leadership of this movement has undoubtedly fallen into the hands of evil forces. We cannot remain silent in this situation," Quader added, stressing that there can be no compromise in the current situation.
The student protests in Bangladesh began earlier this month after the apex court ordered the restoration of 30 percent employment quotas for the relatives of freedom fighters—participants in Bangladesh's 1971 war of independence. Despite the Bangladesh court suspending the order for a month, the protests continued. On the evening of July 14, protests erupted with renewed vigor and continued into Monday, resulting in 350 injuries. On Tuesday, six people, including three students, were killed in the protests.
Since Wednesday, all public and private universities in Bangladesh have been closed indefinitely. For safety reasons, all students have been ordered to leave university campuses immediately. Secondary schools and colleges have also suspended operations.
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Photo: K M Asas/World Bank/Creative Commons 2.0
Based on materials from TASS