The red thread that links protests against the government and youth work

While the Internet and all communications are still blocked, the number of people arrested is estimated to be over 2,500. Unlike in previous situations, discontent with the government involves all segments of the population. It is also linked to the stagnation of the economy and changes in the world of work, explains Fr. Gian Paolo Gualzetti, a PIME missionary and director of a centre for young workers on the outskirts of Dhaka.

Dhaka () – Despite the apparent calm of the past 48 hours, more than 2,500 people have been arrested and 174 killed in clashes between police and demonstrators who took to the streets to protest against a local court’s decision to reintroduce into the public sector the quota system reserved for descendants of those who took part in the Bangladeshi war of liberation in 1971.

The news comes from the international news agency Agence France-Press (AFP), The head of the army has tried to take stock of the situation, even though the country is still blocked on the Internet and all communications. The curfew has not been lifted either, although it has been postponed by one hour to allow the population to buy basic necessities, the authorities announced. The head of the army also said today that the situation has not yet returned to normal.

Local sources located in the north of the country referred to They were unable to reach the capital Dhaka because the internet has been suspended and it is not clear whether long car journeys are possible due to the curfew. The local police say there is no problem, but many prefer not to take any risks and stay at home.

It is also expected that the Government approves Today, the Supreme Court’s decision yesterday reduced the quotas reserved for the grandchildren of the so-called “freedom fighters” from 30% to 5%, while those for the disabled and ethnic minorities were increased to 2%, leaving 93% of public posts to be assigned on the basis of “merit.”

The reserved quota system was already abolished in 2018 following university protests. But at that time the economy was strong and growing. Now some statistics They point out that in Bangladesh, 41% of young people are “inactive” (not studying, not working, not taking vocational training courses).

That’s why many commentators The protests, which have quickly turned from demonstrations against a perceived unfair system into anti-government protests, are seen as marking a turning point for Bangladesh, which has been ruled since 2009 by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Hasina was re-elected in January this year for a fourth term after a boycott by the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Khaleda Zia, the former prime minister and BNP’s top official, has been in jail since 2018 on corruption charges.

The current prime minister, however, has long been accused of having imposed an authoritarian turn. Despite having favoured the economic development of the country (which before the pandemic registered annual growth rates of over 7%), at this moment the discontent with her government is transversal to all social sectors. And it comes from a long time ago: “In the last 30 years we have seen the transformation of Bangladesh from an agricultural country to an industrial country, with the creation of many new jobs,” she told Fr. Gian Paolo Gualzetti, PIME missionary and director of a workers’ centre in Zirani, on the outskirts of Dhaka.

The centre, dedicated to Jesus the Worker, welcomes young people, most of whom come from tribal regions and who, after completing their specialisation courses, seek work in the city. “At the same time, the level of education has also risen,” the priest continued, “and therefore it is becoming increasingly difficult for young people to get the job they aspire to.” This is why many of them have found new opportunities by working online for foreign companies, while others try their luck outside the country, “where they know they can earn higher salaries.”

Although the outbreak of protests is linked to the public sector (the most sought after, especially by those who have studied, because it offers better salaries and greater stability, as well as the possibility of having a pension), growth has also slowed in the private sector. “On the one hand, production, linked above all to the textile sector, is moving eastwards, to countries like Laos or Vietnam, where labour is even cheaper,” explained Fr. Gualzetti. “On the other hand, after the Rana Plaza tragedy, there was pressure to make the work environment more humane, wages were raised and hours were regulated, including overtime. But foreign companies have not increased the capital available and local entrepreneurs have been forced to reduce their workforce.”

Strikes in October last year (which the opposition tried to exploit) forced the government to double the wages of 4 million workers employed in the textile industry, from 8,300 taka (75 dollars) to 23,000 (210 dollars). But the government had put the brakes on the possibility of further increases in order to continue attracting foreign capital and not lose competitiveness compared to other countries in the region.