In Bangladesh, a powerful image of university student Abu Sayeed facing heavily-armed police alone became a catalyst for nationwide protests against government job quotas. The image and video, which show Sayeed standing with open arms and a stick before being shot, quickly went viral on July 16, sparking further student agitation against civil service reservations for families of 1971 independence war veterans.
The protests led to severe unrest and violence. Security forces have been accused of using excessive force, including tear gas, rubber bullets, pellet guns, sound grenades, and live ammunition. A curfew with a shoot-on-sight order was eventually imposed. Reports vary on the death toll: the Bengali daily Prothom Alo and AFP report over 200 deaths, while government statistics cite 147.
The government-imposed internet shutdown initially hampered the flow of information, but partial restoration has since revealed more violence. One verified video shows a young man trying to rescue his injured friend before being shot at by a plain-clothes officer. Irene Khan, a UN expert, described these incidents as "unlawful killings," criticizing the police for disproportionate violence.
Junior Minister Mohammad Ali Arafat acknowledged the unlawfulness of Sayeed's shooting, promising an investigation by an independent judicial committee. In contrast, Dhaka Metropolitan police spokesperson Faruk Hossain defended the police actions as self-defense, presenting videos showing protesters attacking a police van and an officer in Uttara.
The government claims that opposition parties infiltrated the protests to incite violence, a claim dismissed by critics as a diversion tactic by the ruling Awami League. Following the protests, the government has arrested over 9,000 people, including opposition supporters and student leaders, allegedly for their safety.
Experts warn of further unrest due to the lack of trust between the state and the people. Bin Yamin Mollah, a student protest coordinator now in hiding, expressed a sense of betrayal by the government, reflecting widespread disillusionment among the protesters.