Guwahati, July 29: Bangladesh has restored mobile internet services 11 days after severe protests against the government’s job quota system led to a nationwide blackout. On Sunday, 4G mobile internet services resumed hours after an announcement by Zunaid Ahmed Palak, the state minister for telecommunications and information communication technology, as per a report by Al Jazeera. Despite the restoration of mobile internet, social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube remain restricted. While broadband internet connectivity was reinstated on July 23, the majority of internet users in Bangladesh depend on mobile devices to stay connected.

“We have decided to restore the 4G network connectivity from 3 pm (local time) today,” the state minister said, following a meeting with internet service providers (ISP) and other stakeholders in the capital, Dhaka. The nationwide protests saw tens of thousands of students taking to the streets, demanding reforms to the quota system that reserved 30 per cent of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in the 1971 war of independence against Pakistan. In response to the unrest, the government, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, suspended mobile internet services on July 17 and imposed a curfew.

Protest in Bangladesh

The protests – one of the biggest upheavals of Hasina’s 15-year tenure – remained largely peaceful until the demonstrators were attacked by the police and pro-government student groups last week, as reported by Al Jazeera. Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said on Sunday that at least 147 people were killed during the violence, in the government’s first toll, published a day after the main protester group, Students Against Discrimination, gave its own preliminary count of at least 266 dead.

Speaking to reporters in Dhaka, Khan said the deceased included students, police, activists, and people from various professions, adding that further investigation is underway to determine the total death toll. However, independent estimates put the toll at over 200, according to Al Jazeera. The Home Minister further said that police operated with restraint and only fired on demonstrators to protect government buildings. He added that the police had only abducted some protesters for their own safety.

Ruling of Bangladesh’s top court

In response to intensifying protests, the Bangladesh Supreme Court has reduced the 30 per cent job quota for veterans’ descendants to 5 per cent, while limiting the quota for ethnic minorities, transgender individuals, and disabled people to 2 per cent. However, the court’s decision fell short of the protesters’ demands to abolish the quotas entirely. Despite this reduction, army patrols and a nationwide curfew remain in effect more than a week after their imposition.

Schools and other educational institutions continue to be closed until further notice, as the government grapples with the unrest. The protests have led to a significant police crackdown, with thousands of demonstrators, including at least half a dozen student leaders, being detained. Members of the Students Against Discrimination group have stated they will end their week-long protest moratorium but have vowed to resume their demonstrations if their leaders are not released.

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