2024 Bangladesh quota reform movement

2024 Bangladesh quota reform movement
Part of the Student–People's uprising
Police blockade in a mass procession A male student wearing shackles carrying a sign saying "Break down the shackles of those quotas" (ভেঙ্গে ফেল ঐ কোটার শিকল) A female student carrying a sign reading "Quota or merit? Merit! Merit!" (কোটা না, মেধা? মেধা! মেধা!) Student demonstrations in Shahbagh, Dhaka in July 2024
Date	6 June – 3 August 2024 (1 month and 4 weeks)
Location	Bangladesh and abroad
Caused by	Reinstatement of the pre-2018 quota system in government jobs following the Bangladesh High Court's declaration of the 2018 circular as illegal.
Goals	Initially focused on quota reform.
Methods	Protests Public demonstrations Traffic obstruction Picketing Sitdown strikes Occupation Rail obstruction Internet activism Lawsuits Civil strife Riots Arson Vandalism Assault Looting Remittance boycott[1]
Resulted in	Successful The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court orders 93% of recruitment in government jobs to be based on merit, with the public administration ministry publishing a gazette notification in line with the Supreme Court verdict. Massacre of students and protesters Nationwide shutdown of internet, social media[2] and curfew issued Arson and vandalization of many state properties and infrastructures, including the state-owned Bangladesh Television[3][4][5] Beginning of Non-cooperation Movement
Parties
Protesters Anti-discrimination Students Movement Students from various universities, colleges, schools and madrasas[6] University teachers Media persons, singers, writers, poets, artistes, social media influencers Some lawyers and members of bar council[7][8] Bangladesh diaspora Supported by: Bangladesh Nationalist Party[9][10] Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Jatiya Party[11] Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh Proletarian Party of East Bengal[12] Ganosanhati Andolan Left Democratic Alliance[13] (including the Communist Party of Bangladesh) Bangladesh Jatiya Party Islami Andolan Bangladesh Bangladesh Islami Front Islamic Front Bangladesh Khelafat Majlis Insaniyat Biplob Bangladesh Bangladesh Congress Nationalist Democratic Movement Gono Odhikar Parishad Government of Bangladesh Bangladesh Police Rapid Action Battalion Detective Branch Armed Police Battalion[14] Border Guard Bangladesh[15][16] Bangladesh Ansar Bangladesh Army[17][18] Pro-quota protesters Grand Alliance Awami League Chhatra League Jubo League[19] Swechasebak League Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal Workers Party of Bangladesh Bangladesh Tarikat Federation Bangladesh Muktijuddha Mancha[20] Muktijoddha Sangsad Santan Command
Lead figures
Collective leadership Nahid Islam Asif Mahmud Sarjis Alam Hasnat Abdullah Abu Sayed † Others... Sheikh Hasina Asaduzzaman Khan[21][22] Anisul Huq[23] Mohammad A. Arafat[24] Farhad Hossain[25] Zunaid Ahmed Palak[26] Obaidul Quader Saddam Hussain[27] Sheikh Enan[28] Mainul Hossain Khan
Casualties and losses
Deaths: 1425+ (according to the Prime Headline,[29] including Sayed, Mugdho and children)[30][31] and 2 JCD activist[32][33][34] Injuries: 22,000 (including children)[a] Arrests: 12,000+[b] Deaths: 12 Awami League activists (including Chhatra league and Jubo league),[57] 44 Policemen and 1 Ansar[58][59] Injuries: Several[quantify] Chhatra League activists[60] and 1,117+ Policemen[61][58]
Deaths: At least 45 non-protester civilians[c] (including 32 children)[65] and 4 journalists Total: At least 1500+ deaths[66] Injuries: 225+ journalists[67][68]

Part of a series on the
Student–People's uprising
First phase Second phase
History Ohidul Islam and others v. The State Quota reform movement July massacre Internet shutdown Non-cooperation movement
Organisations Anti-discrimination Students Movement Supporters: Bangladesh Nationalist Party Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir Bangladesh Chhatra Odhikar Parishad Gonotantrik Chhatra Shakti
People Nahid Islam Sarjis Alam Hasnat Abdullah Asif Mahmud Abu Sayed
Aftermath Resignation of Sheikh Hasina Violence Interim government Constitutional crisis
Deaths Abu Sayed Mir Mugdho Farhan Faiyaaz Tahmid Bhuiyan Tamim Tahir Zaman Priyo Golam Nafiz
Legacy Awaaz Utha July 36 July Shaheed Smrity Foundation Museum
Politics Bangladesh
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Part of a series on the
History of Bangladesh
Etymology Timeline Traditional Urheimat
Ancient Neolithic, c. 7600 – c. 3300 BCE Bronze Age, c. 3300 – c. 1200 BCE Iron Age, c. 1200 – c. 200 BCE Janapada, c. 1200 – c. 600 BCE Northern Black Polished Ware, c. 700 – c. 200 BCE Pundra kingdom, c. 700 – c. 200 BCE Bengal in Mahabharata, c. 400 – c. 325 BCE Gangaridai kingdom, c. 350 – c. 325 BCE Mauryan Empire, c. 325 – c. 185 BCE Samatata kingdom, c. 232 BCE – c. 800 AD Shunga–Kushan Period, c. 185 BCE – c. 75 AD Southwestern Silk Road, c. 114 BCE – c. 1450 AD Indo-Roman trade relations, c. 30 BCE – c. 600 AD
Classical Gupta Empire, c. 240 – c. 550 AD Harikela kingdom, c. 600 - c. 650 Gauda Kingdom, c. 590 – c. 626 Gour (Sylhet), c. 600 – c. 1303 Khadga dynasty, c. 650 – c. 750 Pala Empire, c. 750 – c. 1100 Arrival of Islam, c. 800 – c. 1050 Candra dynasty, c. 900 – c. 1050 Sena dynasty, c. 1070 – c. 1320 Deva dynasty, c. 1100 – c. 1250
Mediaeval Bhulua (Noakhali), c. 1203 – c. 1600s Delhi Sultanate, c. 1204 – c. 1338 Mamluk Dynasty Khalji Dynasty Tugluq Dynasty Sonargaon Sultanate, c. 1338 – c. 1352 Bengal Sultanate, c. 1352 – c. 1576 Ilyas Shahi dynasty Hussain Shahi dynasty Karrani dynasty Suri Dynasty, c. 1540 – c. 1556 Twelve Bhuyans, c. 1550 – c. 1620 Porto Grande de Bengala, c. 1528 – c. 1666 Chittagong-Arakan Kingdom, c. 1530 – c. 1666 Mughal Empire, c. 1576 – c. 1717 Bengal Subah
Modern Nawabs of Bengal, c. 1717 – c. 1757 Company Raj, c. 1757 – c. 1858 Bengal famine of 1770 Faraizi Movement, c. 1818 – c. 1884 The Great Rebellion, c. 1857 – c. 1858 British Raj, c. 1858 – c. 1947 Bengal Renaissance Partition of Bengal (1905) Eastern Bengal and Assam Bengal famine of 1943 Prime Minister of Bengal Noakhali riots East Bengal, c. 1947 – c. 1955 Partition of Bengal (1947) East Bengali refugees Bengali Language Movement East Pakistan, c. 1955 – c. 1971 1964 East Pakistan riots Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Six Point Movement 1969 uprising in East Pakistan Pakistani general election, 1970 Non-cooperation movement, 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, c. 1971 Declaration of Independence Provisional Government of Bangladesh 1971 Bangladesh Genocide (Rape) Bangladesh Forces Surrender of Pakistan
Contemporary Post-independence years, 1972 – 1975 Bangladesh famine of 1974 Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Jail Killing Day Military rule, 1975 – 1990 Military coups in Bangladesh Chittagong Hill Tracts conflict 1990 Mass Uprising Transition to democracy, 1991 – 2008 Caretaker government of Bangladesh Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord 2006–08 Bangladeshi political crisis Parliamentary era, 2009–2024 Vision 2021 and Digital Bangladesh Bangladesh Rifles revolt 2013 Shapla Square protests 2013 Bangladesh quota reform movement International Crimes Tribunal 2015 Bangladeshi political crisis 2018 Bangladesh road-safety protests 2018 Bangladesh quota reform movement 2021 Bangladesh Communal Violence Smart Bangladesh Bangladesh protests (2022–2024) Student–People's uprising Interim Government era, 2024–present Yunus ministry
Related articles Timeline of Bangladeshi history Bangladeshi art Bengali literature
Bangladesh portal
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The 2024 Bangladesh quota reform movement was a series of anti-government^[d] and pro-democracy^[e] protests in Bangladesh, spearheaded primarily by university students. Initially focused on restructuring quota-based systems for government job recruitment, the movement expanded against what many perceive as an authoritarian government when they carried out the July massacre of protestors and civilians, most of whom were students.^[f] Started as a student movement, the movement later escalated into a fully-fledged mass uprising known as the Student–People's uprising.

The protest began in June 2024, in response to the Supreme Court of Bangladesh reinstating a 30% quota for descendants of freedom fighters, reversing the government decision made in response to the 2018 Bangladesh quota reform movement. Students began to feel like they have a limited opportunity based on merit. The protest quickly spread throughout the entire country because of the government's violent response, as well as growing public dissatisfaction against an oppressive government. The situation was further complicated by many other ongoing issues, like the government's inability to manage a prolonged economic downturn, reports of rampant corruption and human rights violations, and the absence of democratic channels for initiating changes.^{[82][83][84][85]}

The government sought to suppress the protests by shutting down all educational institutions. They deployed their student wing, the Chhatra League, along with other factions of the Awami League party. These groups resorted to using firearms and sharp weapons against the demonstrators.^[g] The government then deployed Police, RAB, BGB and other armed forces, declaring a nationwide shoot-at-sight curfew^[h] amid an unprecedented government-ordered nationwide internet and mobile connectivity blackout that effectively isolated Bangladesh from the rest of the world.^[i] Later, the government also blocked social media in Bangladesh.^[2] As of August 2, there were 215 confirmed deaths, more than 20,000 injuries,^[93][35] and more than 11,000 arrests.^[j] The unofficial death toll is between 300 and 500.^[98] UNICEF reported that at least 32 children were killed during July's protests, with many more injured and detained.^[99][100] Determining the exact number of deaths has been difficult because the government reportedly restricted hospitals from sharing information with the media without police permission, hospital CCTV footage was confiscated, and numerous individuals with gunshot wounds were buried without identification.^{[101][102][103]}

The Awami League government and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have suggested that political opponents have co-opted the protest.^[104][105] Despite the curfew restrictions the movement remained ongoing as it expanded its demands to include accountability for violence, a ban on the student wing of the government Chhatra League, and resignation of certain government officials,^[106] including the resignation of Prime Minister Hasina.^[107] The government's use of widespread violence against the general public turned the student protest into a people's uprising known as the non-cooperation movement.^[k]

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