Bangladeshi Tech students join in government protest

Bangladeshi college students at Louisiana Tech University and across the state may be thousands of miles away from their home, but as unrest and political violence have descended on their country in recent weeks, they want to send a message that they stand with Bangladesh protesters.

“Since it’s not possible for us to be physically there to support our brothers and sisters, we made sure we could provide them emotional and mental support that yes, you are right, and you’re fighting for the right cause, “ said Ajaan Rahman Khan, public relations officer for the Students Association of Bangladesh at Tech.

What started as peaceful protests in the South Asian country from mostly student groups over government job quotas turned into bloody clashes as police and military forces began cracking down on the demonstrations, leading to at least 100 deaths, according to the Associated Press.

To show solidarity with protesters in their home country, Bangladeshi students rallied on Tech campus July 19 before traveling to Baton Rouge Friday to join students from other universities across the state for a demonstration at the Capitol.

The Bangladesh government, under longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, recently revived a previously abolished job quota system that reserves 30% of government jobs for the descendants of veterans who fought in the country’s war for independence from Pakistan in 1971.

As the country faces job shortages and a youth unemployment crisis, students protested the quota policy that they see as discriminatory and called for a return to a merit-based system.

“People were OK for the sons and daughters ( of freedom fighters) to get the job, but the government wanted the grandchildren to get the job as well,” Khan said. “General students realized this is too much. Students were not getting enough jobs in public sectors. This needed to be reformed.”

Critics say the move is designed to benefit Hasina’s party, which was born out of the independence movement.

The peaceful demonstrations turned violent as police entered the fray in what protesters called a state- led crackdown on dissent. Officers employed teargas, rubber bullets and metal pellets against the student crowds in the capital city of Dhaka, who were largely unarmed or armed with sticks. Some sources allege police eventually used lethal firearms as well.

Death tolls reported by media range from 100 to 200, with thousands injured. Khan claims that from what students stateside can tell from social media and speaking with friends back home, the death count may end up closer to 900.

On July 21 the Bangladesh Supreme Court scaled the job quota back to just 5%.

“Finally after all this blood shedding, the government reformed the system,” Khan said. “This came at a very high cost of a lot of lives of young students — students who were not involved in any kind of violence.”

While students are satisfied with the quota reform, they now seek accountability for the administration that they say orchestrated the bloodshed.

“They could have changed this without killing anyone,” Khan said. “Now we are asking for the government to step down. They have blood on their hands.”

The Associated Press reports an uneasy calm seems to have descended over Bangladesh this week, as many of the protest leaders have been hospitalized. But students say the protests are not over.

Some 15- 20 Tech students were expected to make the trip to the state Capitol Friday for an afternoon demonstration alongside Bangladeshi students from across the state.

They say their main goal is to show support and solidarity for student protesters in their home country, but also to urge the U.S. government to intervene or devote humanitarian aid to the victims.

The group is also raising money to send to the families of those who have lost their lives in the clashes, as well as medical expenses for those hospitalized.

Those wanting to donate or to find more information can visit a GoFund-Me page Khan has started at gofund. me/ 9b5c3c19.