Bangladesh:  Rival Student Groups Clash

Police fired tear gas and swung batons today in a bid to contain fierce clashes between rival student groups at Jahangir Nagar University in Savar, outside Dhaka.

Dozens of people were injured.

There were major clashes yesterday there and at Dhaka University, the country’s leading public higher-education institution.
 
Student protesters today began blocking highways and rail lines in Dhaka and other parts of the country.
 
The protesters are demanding the scrapping of quota under which 30 percent of government jobs are reserved for family members of veterans of the 1971 war of independence.
 
A student group directly linked to authoritarian prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League has confronted the protesters, sparking clashes.
 
Bangladesh has a long history of political turbulence and protest violence.
 
Protesters and strikers often block major roads, attacking vehicles that attempt to pass through.
 
Personnel should monitor political and social developments constantly to avoid being caught up in turbulent demonstrations and highly disruptive general strikes.  Automobile and train travel should not be undertaken at all during general strikes.  At the best of times, demonstrations should be given wide berth and personnel should be prepared to remain indoors for an extended period in the event sustained street violence erupts.  It should be kept in mind that protests can occur spontaneously and turn violent at any moment.  See the country summary for the full scope of security risks in Bangladesh.