A Bangladeshi student group, whose demonstrations against civil service hiring rules have led to significant nationwide unrest, announced on Sunday that it would continue its protests despite a Supreme Court ruling that partially met their demands.
“We won’t call off our protests until the government issues an order reflecting our demands,” a spokesman for Students Against Discrimination said.
Earlier in the day, Bangladesh’s top court removed most of the quotas on government jobs that had sparked student-led protests, resulting in at least 139 deaths, according to local media reports.
The court’s Appellate Division overturned a lower court order that had reinstated the quotas, ruling that 93% of government jobs would now be open to candidates based on merit, without quotas.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government had abolished the quota system in 2018, but the lower court reinstated it last month, triggering the protests and a subsequent government crackdown.
It was unclear how the protesters would respond to the Supreme Court decision.
Immediately after the ruling, streets near the apex court were quiet, and army teams were deployed throughout the capital, Dhaka, according to a Reuters witness.
Earlier in the day, local media reported scattered clashes between protesters and security forces.
The government extended a curfew as authorities prepared for the Supreme Court hearing on the job quotas.
Soldiers patrolled the streets of Dhaka, the center of the demonstrations that had escalated into clashes between protesters and security forces.
Internet and text message services in Bangladesh have been suspended since Thursday, cutting off communication as police cracked down on protesters who defied a ban on public gatherings.
