Bangladesh Protesters Issue Demands to Government Amid Tentative Calm
Protesters in Bangladesh are demanding the government lift a national curfew, restore internet access and release student demonstrators after days of unrest.
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00:00A heavy military presence remains in Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, after days of deadly protests.
00:11The streets are now largely calm, with the country's top court rolling back a controversial
00:16quota for government jobs.
00:19The quota, which reserved nearly 60% of the sought-after jobs for specific groups, sparked
00:25one of the deadliest outbreaks of violence seen in the country in recent years, leading
00:30the government to impose curfews and shut down the internet.
00:37But this calm could be short-lived, as protesters vow to continue demonstrations if their remaining
00:43demands aren't met within 48 hours.
00:45We want to pay tribute to those who have been martyred in the protests.
00:55We want to pay tribute to those who have been responsible for the protests.
01:01We are not sure how many people have died due to the digital crackdown.
01:10They are also calling on the government to lift the curfew, reopen universities and release
01:16detained protest leaders.
01:21At least 163 people were killed, thousands injured and hundreds arrested when police
01:26cracked down on student-led protests demanding reforms to the civil service quotas.
01:32Protesters claim the quotas, which assign jobs to descendants of those who fought for
01:36Bangladeshi independence, minorities and other groups, were unfair, especially at a
01:41time of high inflation and unemployment.
01:44After days of unrest, the Supreme Court reduced the number of reserved jobs to 7%.
01:51But police are being accused of using excessive force, with one student claiming he was beaten
01:56and hospitalised.
02:07Protesters want the government to take accountability for the violence, demanding the resignation
02:12of ministers and an apology from the Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina.
02:17But officials are defiant, blaming protesters and the opposition for the unrest.
02:24But the country's Prime Minister has however vowed to accept the Supreme Court's ruling
02:28and lift curfews when violence completely subsides.
02:36This situation will be resolved. We have come here with peace of mind.
02:43The situation will gradually improve.
02:53But his tentative calm is restored in Bangladesh.
02:56The Prime Minister now faces accusations of human rights violations and authoritarianism.
03:07And with deadly force used against protesters, what began as a student movement against civil
03:12service allocations has escalated into an uprising against Prime Minister Hasina's leadership,
03:19with protesters now demanding her resignation.
03:23Dolphin Chen and Rosie Greninja for Taiwan Plus.