Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa) has expressed deep concern over the current political situation in the country.
The government's response to the peaceful student protests for quota reforms through various forms of force, rather than constructive dialogue, has led to widespread unrest and clashes across the nation.
According to initial reports, indiscriminate gunfire by law enforcement agencies has resulted in the deaths of more than two hundred people, including many students, and has left numerous others injured.
Some vested interests have exploited the situation to incite chaos, causing extensive damage to government infrastructure, buildings, vehicles, and private property.
Bapa highlights that no infrastructure or vehicles, including the Metro Rail station near the centre of the protests at Dhaka University, were attacked, indicating that the damage was not caused by the protesting students.
Bapa laments that the deaths and destruction could have been avoided if the government had pursued a constructive dialogue to resolve the quota issue.
The government's reliance on force, despite a reported alignment between the government's and the students' positions on the quota, is viewed as particularly distressing.
Currently, while the government expresses sorrow over the deaths and injuries, it is simultaneously conducting mass arrests and detentions of students involved in the quota movement through "block raids."
Bapa fears that this will only increase accumulated resentment and make the already deep wounds from over two hundred deaths even harder to heal.
Bapa has put four demands:
- A thorough investigation into each killing and death that occurred during the protests and appropriate punishment for those responsible.
- Immediate reopening of all colleges and universities and restoring peace on campuses, with proper management of dormitories being handed over to the authorities rather than student organizations.
- Providing necessary financial and other support to the families of those who lost their lives or were seriously injured.
- Taking necessary political and administrative steps to achieve a reasonable resolution of the quota system according to the Supreme Court's ruling, involving representatives of the quota protesters and other stakeholders to ensure proper implementation of the ruling and prevent new crises.
Bapa firmly believes that the youth love their country deeply and will remain dedicated to its well-being despite significant sacrifices.
Standing by them in this difficult time and speaking out against political injustice is considered a moral duty and obligation by Bapa.
