Ever since the Quota Movement in Bangladesh took a violent turn, the actions of the Bangladeshi security and paramilitary forces have gone beyond what is permitted by the constitution and the law.

 
bangladesh army shooting at protestors
Photo shows Bangladesh Army soldiers shooting with light machine guns and automatic assault rifles at protestors in Dhaka streets on July 19, 2024.


Unsettling reports are emerging from various parts of the South Asian country regarding the harsh actions taken by security forces against unarmed students from schools, colleges, and universities. These actions were in response to protests over the reformation of the job quota system. Tragically, these incidents have resulted in the loss of 210 lives, making it one of the most dire situations in Bangladesh since gaining independence from Pakistan in 1971.

 

The protest in Dhaka on July 18 resulted in numerous injuries to both students and civilians, primarily due to the excessive use of force by the Bangladesh Police, Rapid Action Battalion (recently sanctioned by the United States for extrajudicial killings and disappearances), Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and the Bangladesh Army. The deployment of the army was officially authorised on July 19, 2024, following the violent clashes between protesters from educational institutions around the country.

The bloody clashes have seen many verified accounts of the indiscriminate use of helicopters by RAB and the Bangladesh Army, firing live ammunition at the demonstrators, leading to the tragic deaths of 8 children so far. A recent report from a Bangladeshi satellite TV station reveals that the crackdown resulted in the deaths of Ahad (4), Ria (6), Hossain (10), Samir (11), Mobarak (13), Tahmid (14), Naima (16), and Iffat (16).


Ria Gope, just six years old, was innocently playing on the rooftop of her flat in the city of Narayanganj. Little did she know that on July 18, a heavy-handed crackdown by the police and other paramilitary forces, with the assistance of air support from RAB, was taking place against peaceful protesters. As her father rushed to save her from the rooftop amidst the chaos of the helicopter firing at the protesters, a single bullet tragically struck Ria's head, ending her life in an instant.


On the same day, in the capital Dhaka, Ahad (4) and his parents witnessed the intense clashes between protesting students and security forces from the safety of their multi-storied apartment building. Tragically, a bullet unexpectedly struck the child's right eye, causing it to become lodged in his brain. His father, Abul Hasnat Shanta, recounts the incident with profound sorrow, describing how his beloved son slipped away in his arms and peacefully closed his eyes for eternity.

 

In Mirpur, a municipality of the capital Dhaka, on the next day, Samir (11), a 5th grade primary school student, went to close this room's window as the tear shell's blazing chemical smoke was coming to his room when a bullet instantly killed him. There are other horrible incidents as well, but they will require hundreds of pages to write down. 


Amidst the whining situation, the government, including the Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud, firmly rejected the allegation of deploying armed helicopters and resorting to shootings and the Prime Minister said, "The helicopters were flown with the purpose of extinguishing fire only". Despite multiple KPI's (Key Point Installation) being set on fire, there have been reports of helicopters firing on the streets.


Following the latest events of violence and the implementation of curfews nationwide, Bangladeshi authorities have been carrying out block raids and conducting mass arrests. Over ten thousand individuals, including a substantial number of protesting students, have been arrested from the streets, university and college dormitories, and even their own homes.


One of the most concerning feature of these arrests is the detention and questioning of Faiyaz (17), who is legally considered a minor. He endured mistreatment and was subjected to rough handling by the police on the allegation of killing security member. After the incident gained widespread attention following the restoration of internet services in the country, the court decided to revoke his remand and sent him to the Child Development Centre instead, and the government issued a formal apology to the Supreme Court.

Despite Faiyaz's fortunate rescue from the claws of the tainted system, a new report has surfaced about a 16-year-old who is currently handcuffed and facing prosecution in a court in Dhaka.


In addition to these events, Detective Branch, an intelligence wing of Bangladesh Police, detained 3 coordinators of the ant-quota movement on July 26 and 3 more on July 27 "for their own safety" and kept them under their custody as of writing this article on July 30, 2024, Switzerland time. Even before their detention, the first three coordinators were allegedly beaten and held by intelligence officers. Now, according to the law of Bangladesh, if a citizen is arrested, he/she must be brought in front of a magistrate within 24 hours, and other measures of law enforcement are clearly unconstitutional, which was also echoed by the High Court division of the Supreme Court of the country.


The protests have evolved into an anti-government movement, with the primary objective of the protesters shifting from the reconstruction of the quota system. This shift is a result of the government's harsh crackdown on students, its mishandling of the protest, autocratic behaviour since 2013, widespread corruption, and rising prices of essential commodities. These factors have pushed the common people to their limits, as noted by internationally acclaimed Bangladeshi photojournalist Shahidul Alam on Al Jazeera.

 

The United Nations has pledged to take appropriate disciplinary measures after finding adequate evidence of serious human rights violations by security personnel in Bangladesh as a consequence of the violent and military-style crackdown. How much this protest affects a nation of 170 million people is, ultimately, something that will become clear as time goes on.


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