Bangladesh's Worst Civil Unrest in Decades: Students Protest Against Government Job Quotas, Over 100 Deaths

Dhaka, Bangladesh Bangladesh
Bangladesh experiencing worst civil unrest in decades
High Court ordered reinstatement of quotas for govt jobs, abolished in 2018
Internet blackout, curfew imposed, military deployed
Opposition parties express support for student protesters
Over 100 deaths and widespread violence
Protests began on university campuses, grew into larger movement against PM Sheikh Hasina's government
Protests fueled by economic woes and frustration with govt
Quotas reserve over half civil service jobs for specific groups: veterans, women, disabled individuals, ethnic minorities
Students believe recruitment should be based on merit rather than quotas
Students protesting against government job quotas
Violence largest threat to govt since Sheikh Hasina's re-election for 4th term
Bangladesh's Worst Civil Unrest in Decades: Students Protest Against Government Job Quotas, Over 100 Deaths

Bangladesh is currently experiencing its worst civil unrest in decades, with student-led protests against the reinstatement of government job quotas resulting in over a hundred deaths and widespread violence. The protests, which began on university campuses, have since grown into a larger movement against the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The demonstrations were initially peaceful but escalated into violent clashes between protesters and police, leading to the imposition of a nationwide curfew and the deployment of military personnel.

The protests began after the High Court ordered the reinstatement of quotas for government jobs that had been abolished in 2018. The quota system reserves over half of civil service jobs for specific groups, including family members of veterans who fought in Bangladesh's war for independence from Pakistan in 1971, women, disabled individuals, and ethnic minorities. Students have been protesting against the reinstatement of these quotas as they believe that recruitment should be based on merit rather than quotas.

The protests have been fueled by economic woes and frustration with the government. Many Bangladeshis are struggling with rising food prices, high unemployment rates, particularly among the youth, and a shrinking space for democratic activity. The opposition parties have also expressed support for the student protesters.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has faced allegations of corruption among her former top officials and many rights activists point out that space for democratic activity has shrunk over the past 15 years due to a lack of credible free and fair polling processes. The government, however, denies these charges.

The violence has resulted in an internet blackout, with text message services and overseas telephone calls also disrupted. The curfew was briefly lifted during lunchtime on Saturday to allow people to shop for supplies but was reimposed later in the day.

The protests have been the largest threatening the government since Sheikh Hasina's re-election for a fourth term earlier this year. Several opposition party leaders and activists have been arrested, along with protest organizers. The state appeal to the Supreme Court has suspended the reinstatement of quotas for a month, pending a hearing on August 7.

The protesters are holding positions despite the curfew announcement and risk of casualties if dispersed. Many have demanded accountability before agreeing to sit down with government representatives for talks.


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Confidence

91%

Doubts
  • Are all opposition party leaders and activists arrested?
  • Is the death toll accurate?
  • What is the current status of the Supreme Court hearing on quotas?

Sources

95%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Bangladesh imposes shutdown as death toll from student protests mounts

Al Jazeera Media Network Al Jazeera Saturday, 20 July 2024 15:19
  • Unique Points
    • Bangladesh enforced a nationwide curfew to quell student-led demonstrations against government job quotas
    • Dozens of people have been killed and several thousand are believed to have been injured in the protests
    • The Dhaka Medical College Hospital reported receiving 27 bodies on Friday, raising the death toll to 110 people
    • Many average citizens joined protests due to economic woes and frustration with government
  • Accuracy
    • The number of deaths reported in the articles varies: 'Dozens of people have been killed and several thousand are believed to have been injured in the protests' (article) vs. 'More than 100 people have died during student-led protests' (otherArticle[0])
    • The cause of the protests is different: 'Protests started after High Court ordered reinstatement of quota that reserves 30% of govt jobs for veterans’ family members' (article) vs. 'Thousands of university students have been agitating for weeks against a quota system for government jobs' (otherArticle[1])
    • The extent of the internet blackout is different: 'a near total internet blackout remains in place amid the crackdown' (article) vs. 'Internet, telephone, and SMS connections have been cut off by the government.' (otherArticle[2])
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (90%)
    The article contains some inflammatory rhetoric and appeals to authority, but no formal or blatant logical fallacies were found. The author reports on the situation in Bangladesh and provides quotes from various sources, including the government and Al Jazeera's Tanvir Chowdhury.
    • ]The authorities have said about 300 police officers have been injured, blaming the protesters for damaging public property and violence, and accusing opposition parties of instigating the unrest.[
    • Soldiers set up checkpoints on Saturday, shortly after the government ordered a curfew to block the protests.[]
  • Bias (95%)
    Al Jazeera uses language that depicts the government as using excessive force against peaceful protests and portrays the protesters as ordinary people frustrated with economic woes and a government perceived to have come to power by force. The article also mentions the arrest of opposition party leaders, which could be seen as an attempt to silence dissenting voices.
    • But the mood is just sombre because so many people died. People don’t understand why there was such a heavy crackdown on student protests that were peaceful.
      • There are a lot of ordinary people who are supporting the students. There’s a great degree of frustration in the country right now and many people don’t accept this government and feel like the prime minister came to power by force.
      • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication

      99%

      The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
      (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

      A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

      Bangladesh police given ‘shoot-on-sight’ orders amid national curfew

      theguardian.com Article URL: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/13/ pakistan-·coalition-·agrees-to-form-government Hannah Ellis-Petersen Saturday, 20 July 2024 13:34
      • Unique Points
        • Bangladesh police have been granted ȁ7shoot-on-sightȁ7 orders
        • Nationwide curfew imposed in Bangladesh
        • Protests began on university campuses over reintroduction of civil service job quotas
      • Accuracy
        • More than 100 people have died during student-led protests
        • Dozens of people have been killed and several thousand are believed to have been injured in the protests
        • Thousands of university students have been agitating for weeks against a quota system for government jobs.
      • Deception (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Fallacies (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Bias (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication

      88%

      The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
      (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

      A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

      Dhaka protesters defy curfew in worst unrest in decades

      Deutsche Welle News Site Review by AI - Bias, Contradictions, Deceptiveness Analysis (English Edition) Arafatul Islam Saturday, 20 July 2024 15:21
      • Unique Points
        • Weeks of student protests over quota reform for government jobs have resulted in over a hundred deaths and worst unrest in Bangladesh in living memory.
        • Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has imposed nationwide curfew and deployed military following clashes between demonstrators and police.
        • Internet, telephone, and SMS connections have been cut off by the government.
        • Protesters are holding positions despite curfew announcement and risk of casualties if dispersed.
        • Quota system reserves over half of civil service jobs for specific groups including family members of veterans who fought in 1971 liberation war against Pakistan, women, disabled, and ethnic minorities.
        • Students protest against high court order to reinstate quotas for government jobs which were abolished in 2018.
        • 30% of government jobs are reserved for family members of veterans and other groups have smaller percentages.
      • Accuracy
        • More than 100 people have died during student-led protests
        • Thousands of university students have been agitating for weeks against a quota system for government jobs.
        • A third of public sector jobs are reserved for the relatives of veterans from the country's war for independence from Pakistan in 1971.
      • Deception (50%)
        The article contains selective reporting as it only reports details that support the author's position of the ongoing protests in Bangladesh. The author quotes two correspondents who provide information about the current situation and the number of deaths, but does not mention any counter-arguments or opposing viewpoints. Additionally, there is a lack of disclosure regarding sources for some statements made in the article.
        • Army and security forces took positions in those areas. But the protesters are large in number. So, there is a risk of casualties if security forces try to disperse the protesters.
        • The situation has reached a level that the protesters don't back down even when shots are fired.
        • Weeks of escalating student protests over a quota reform for government jobs have spiraled into Bangladesh's worst unrest in living memory with over a hundred deaths in the past few days.
      • Fallacies (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Bias (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication
      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication

      79%

      The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
      (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

      A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

      Bangladesh student protests: Why is the government facing public anger?

      BBC News Site: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68702081, About Us URL: https://www.bbc.com/aboutthebbc/ Anbarasan Ethirajan Saturday, 20 July 2024 15:23
      • Unique Points
        • Bangladeshi students set fire to the country's state broadcaster on Thursday.
        • Thousands of university students have been agitating for weeks against a quota system for government jobs.
        • Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has faced allegations of corruption among her former top officials.
        • Many rights activists point out that space for democratic activity has shrunk over the past 15 years as there have been no credible free and fair polling processes.
      • Accuracy
        • More than 100 people have died in the violence.
        • Dozens of people have been killed and several thousand are believed to have been injured in the protests.
        • The government has imposed an unprecedented communications blackout, shutting down the internet and restricting phone services.
        • A third of public sector jobs are reserved for the relatives of veterans from the country’s war for independence from Pakistan in 1971.
      • Deception (30%)
        The article contains selective reporting and emotional manipulation. The author only reports details that support the argument of the students being discriminated against and the government's use of force. The author does not mention any counterarguments or actions taken by the government to address these issues. Additionally, there are emotional appeals throughout the article, such as 'thousands of university students have been agitating for weeks,' 'intensity of the demonstrations...has been described as the worst in living memory,' and 'more than 100 people have died.' These statements are intended to elicit an emotional response from readers.
        • More than 100 people have died
        • Thousands of university students have been agitating for weeks
        • The intensity of the demonstrations...has been described as the worst in living memory
      • Fallacies (85%)
        The author makes several appeals to authority in the article. He quotes Dr Samina Luthfa multiple times and refers to her as an assistant professor of sociology in the University of Dhaka. He also mentions Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch, and her opinions on the situation. These appeals do not necessarily invalidate the information presented, but they can be used to sway readers' opinions based on the perceived authority of these individuals. Additionally, there are instances of inflammatory rhetoric used by both the author and those quoted in the article. For example, Dr Luthfa states that 'We are witnessing so much corruption. Especially among those close to the ruling party.' This statement is not a logical fallacy but can be seen as an attempt to provoke anger or emotion in readers. The score is 85 because while there are some instances of appeals to authority and inflammatory rhetoric, there are no formal or blatant logical fallacies present in the article.
        • ]The government denies these allegations.[/
      • Bias (90%)
        The author expresses a clear bias against the Bangladeshi government and its ruling party, the Awami League. The author uses language that depicts the government as corrupt and autocratic, without providing any evidence beyond allegations made by unnamed sources. The author also quotes Dr Samina Luthfa making similar allegations without challenging or questioning them. Additionally, the author mentions the communications blackout imposed by the government as evidence of repression, but fails to acknowledge that this may be a response to violent protests and attempts to incite further unrest.
        • Ms Hasina last week said she was taking action against corruption, and that it was a long-standing problem. During the same press conference in Dhaka, she said she had taken action against a household assistant – or peon – after he allegedly amassed $34 million.
          • Rights groups also say more than 80 people, many of them government critics, have disappeared in the past 15 years, and that their families have no information on them. The government is accused of stifling dissent and the media, amid wider concerns that Sheikh Hasina has grown increasingly autocratic over the years. But ministers deny the charges.
            • The government denies these allegations.
              • The student protests are probably the biggest challenge that has faced Ms Hasina since January 2009.
                • We are witnessing so much corruption. Especially among those close to the ruling party. Corruption has been continuing for a long time without being punished.
                • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                  None Found At Time Of Publication
                • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                  None Found At Time Of Publication