DHAKA: Pakistani students who are in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka are advised to take all possible safety measures and stay away from the ongoing violent protests in the city against the country’s job quota system.
Six people were killed while dozens were injured after protests by students against a quota system for government jobs turned violent this week. The government has announced to close all public and private universities indefinitely after the protests from Wednesday.
Bangladesh has been rocked by protests for weeks over public sector job quotas, which include a 30 percent reservation for family members of soldiers.
The decision has triggered anger among students who face high youth unemployment rates, with nearly 32 million Bangladeshis not in work out of a total population of 170 million people.
Pakistan’s High Commissioner in Bangladesh Syed Ahmad Maroof has called upon the students to stay inside their hostels and don’t go near the protests for their safety.
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar has also spoken to High Commissioner Maroof to inquire about the well-being of Pakistanis in Bangladesh.
The envoy informed Dar about the steps taken by the high commission to ensure the welfare of Pakistanis in Bangladesh. The high commissioner told the minister that the embassy has also opened a helpline for the convenience of people with some problems.
The foreign minister directed Maroof to take steps to ensure the welfare of the Pakistanis living in Bangladesh, especially the students living in the Dhaka campus.
It is pertinent to mention that students in Bangladesh are protesting against a quota system for government jobs. Demonstrations increased after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina refused to meet the protesters’ demands.
The demonstrations turned violent this week when thousands of anti-quota protesters clashed with members of the student wing of the ruling Awami League party across Bangladesh. Police used rubber bullets and fired tear gas to disperse the protesters.
Six people, including at least three students, died during the clashes on Tuesday, police said. Late on Tuesday, the University Grants Commission ordered all universities to close their campuses and instructed students to vacate the premises immediately for security purposes.
