On July 18, 2024, police fired rubber bullets and teargas at students gathered at BRAC University (BRACU) to funeral prayers for students who had been killed in recent protests against the government’s quota reform. One protester, Zillur Sheikh, a student in the science department of Dhaka Imperial College, was killed after being shot by police.
Students gathered at BRACU on the morning of July 18 to hold absentee funeral prayers for deceased protesters. Soon afterwards, police fired rubber bullets and teargas at the students. The students retreated into BRACU’s campus, and police continued to fire teargas, rubber bullets, and sound grenades. Videos posted online show police firing what appeared to be teargas into BRACU’s campus through closed gates.
As news of the events at BRACU spread, students from nearby colleges, including East West University, marched toward BRACU, establishing blockades on nearby roads. Over the next several hours, police and students clashed violently. Police fired indiscriminately at students, and students threw bricks and stones at police. According to media reports, around 30 people were injured by teargas, and Zillur Sheikh was killed.
The violence occurred against the backdrop of the quota reform movement, a set of widespread student protests that began on the campus of the University of Dhaka, after a June 5, 2024 ruling by the High Court of Bangladesh reinstating a quota system – previously abolished in 2018 – which allocated government jobs to certain favored groups. Under the system, 30% of government positions went to people who had fought in Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence from Pakistan and their family members, creating a shortage of sought-after positions for others. The protests ultimately led to the resignation of Bangladesh’s prime minister Sheikh Hasina and the establishment of a new interim government.
Scholars at Risk is concerned about the use of lethal force during a student protest. SAR offers condolences to the family and colleagues of the deceased student. While state authorities have the responsibility to maintain order and prevent disruption, they must refrain from the disproportionate use of force and endangerment of civilians and must respect the right to freedom of association and freedom of expression. Students and members of the public must refrain from violence, especially on campus, and also respect the right to freedom of association and freedom of expression. Such actions, beyond harming the immediate victims, have a chilling effect on academic freedom.
Sources:
*SAR identified this incident in data made publicly available by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED)
https://www.banglanews24.com/english/national/news/bd/151837.details
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https://x.com/suuiii_xo/status/1813807685600702706