- At least 32 children died in Bangladesh protests
- Government reduced quota system; protests continue
- Unicef, officials, students clash over death toll
According to the United Nations Children’s Agency, at least 32 children died during student protests in Bangladesh last month.
According to a spokeswoman for Unicef, the youngest child slain was under the age of five, and the majority of those who perished were spectators.
They were among more than 200 individuals slain amid demonstrations over public service employment quotas.
The government has reduced the quota system in response to a Supreme Court order. Still, students have continued to demonstrate, demanding justice for those who died, were injured, or were incarcerated.
While the protests are now less in scale, the government is fighting to stem the outrage over how it initially handled the demonstrations.
“Why are our brothers in graves and the killers outside?” asked a crowd gathered outside the largest mosque in Dhaka, Bangladesh’s capital, after Friday prayers, according to AFP.
According to Reuters, security personnel used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the thousands of people who had gathered in the streets. It stated that at least 20 persons were hurt.
Sanjay Wijesekera, Unicef’s regional director for South Asia, confirmed that he had been informed of instances of children being imprisoned during a visit to Bangladesh this week.
He went on to say that the 32 deaths reported by the organization were “a terrible loss.
According to a representative for the UN agency, the majority of those slain were 13 or older, with one youngster under the age of five and one aged six to twelve.
“Children must be protected at all times,” Mr Wijesekera declared. “That is everyone’s responsibility.”
Bangladeshi junior Knowledge Minister Mohammad Ali Arafat said the government must learn about Unicef’s mortality toll.
“We don’t know where they [Unicef] got the numbers from,” he said. “Our position is clear: Whoever has been killed, we are going to investigate and bring the perpetrators to book.”
Security forces have been accused of employing disproportionate force to quiet the initial protests, resulting in many deaths and injuries from gunshot wounds.
However, the administration has blamed the disturbance on political opponents, claiming that several police personnel were killed as well.
On Thursday, it outlawed the country’s foremost Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami, as well as its student branch, Islami Chhatra Shibir, alleging that they were responsible for some of the violence.
“We have evidence that they have participated in the killings and the destruction of government and private properties,” said Bangladesh’s law minister, Anisul Huq.
“Unlock your financial potential with free Webull shares in the UK.”
The opposition party’s head referred to the move as “illegal, extrajudicial, and unconstitutional.”
Officials said the student protest leaders were imprisoned for a week for their protection. However, their release on Thursday did little to alleviate the uproar.
In a united statement issued on Friday, the students questioned the basis on which they were kept.
The group said that they and their families were subjected to “harassment, torture, and drama” during their seven-day confinement.
“No one is safe in the custody of those who kill unarmed students and citizens,” the statement read, urging people to continue going to the streets.
According to reports, about 10,000 people have been jailed since the authorities began cracking down on the rallies.
But Mr Arafat rejected the student leaders’ remarks.
He claimed that the authorities had to take the student leaders into custody because the government was aware of a potential threat to their lives.
“Their protection became our top priority,” she said.
