Bangladesh remained relatively calm on Monday amid a curfew, despite ongoing widespread disruptions in telecommunications. This followed a significant ruling by the Supreme Court that invalidated some controversial job quotas. The court's decision, which mandates that 93% of government jobs be allocated based on merit instead of previous quotas favoring specific groups, triggered protests and clashes between students and security forces, resulting in at least 147 deaths.
The demands made by student protestors include the official publication of the court's decision in the gazette, the release of protest leaders who are in custody, the lifting of the curfew, and the reopening of universities that have been closed since Wednesday. Though it's unclear what will happen if the government doesn't comply, they have given them 48 hours to address these issues.
On Monday, there were no new reports of violence or protests, and the curfew was slightly relaxed to allow people to purchase essentials. Security forces and army tanks were visible on the streets of Dhaka, and armed patrols managed the sparse traffic. Travel planning problems, shortages in stores, and trouble accessing critical services have all resulted from the continued telecom interruptions. Tensions already present in the nation have increased due to the instability, which is being caused by high youth unemployment and a lack of job creation in the private sector.
