Bangladesh has experienced its deadliest day of protests since the quota reform demonstra-tions began on July 1, 2024. According to Amnesty International, 32 people lost their lives on July 18 alone, bringing the total death toll to nearly 39 since the protests started.

The unrest stems from the government’s decision to reinstate a 30% quota in government jobs for children of freedom fighters from the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. This move has sparked outrage among students and other protesters who argue that the system unfairly favors supporters of the ruling party.

Babu Ram Pant, Deputy Regional Director for South Asia at Amnesty International, strong-ly condemned the government’s response to the protests. “The rising death toll is a shocking indictment of the absolute intolerance shown by the Bangladeshi authorities to protest and dissent,” Pant stated. He called for an immediate end to the unlawful use of lethal force against protesters and urged authorities to conduct a prompt, independent, and impartial investigation into the deaths.

Amnesty International has repeatedly called for the Government of Bangladesh to adopt a rights-respecting approach in the policing of protests. The law enforcement agencies must immediately end their unlawful use of lethal force against protesters and ensure that the right of people to peaceful assembly is guaranteed in law and practice. Authorities must immediately conduct a prompt, independent and impartial investigation into the deaths and hold all those found responsible fully accountable. Victims of unlawful police violence must receive full reparations from the state.

The situation has been further exacerbated by the government’s decision to impose a total internet shutdown across the country and a blanket ban on protests announced by the Dhaka Metropolitan police, which is a a violation of Bangladesh’s international obligations as a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The controversy surrounding the quota system dates back to 2018 when it was initially can-celled following massive student protests. However, a recent High Court decision, delivered by Justice Khizir Hayat, upheld the 30% quota for children of freedom fighters, citing a 2013 Supreme Court ruling.