At least 16 killed as students clash with police in Bangladesh over jobs reserved for veterans' families

Many students, armed with makeshift weapons, fought against the police in Bangladesh after a series of violent clashes that have reportedly resulted in the deaths of at least 16 individuals, as reported by local media.

The students were protesting in the capital city of the country, Dhaka, about how government jobs are distributed.

The protestors declared that they will have a nationwide "complete shutdown" on Thursday following the attacks on campus demonstrators.

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Law enforcement used tear gas to disperse demonstrators close to the University of Dhaka, and there were disruptions to certain mobile internet services in an effort to reduce the protests.

Authorities also used tear gas to break up a group of students who were throwing stones and blocking a major road in the southern port city of Chittagong.

The government closed both public and private universities for an unknown amount of time starting on Wednesday. Additionally, riot police and the Border Guard paramilitary force were deployed to university campuses.

The protests happening all across the country have been sparked by the fact that many young people are unable to find jobs. Almost 20% of Bangladesh's 170 million people are not working or in school.

The demonstrators are demanding that the government end its practice of reserving 30% of public sector positions for the descendants of individuals who served in the Bangladesh Liberation War against Pakistan in 1971.

They claim that the system benefits supporters of the ruling party, who were instrumental in leading the country to independence.

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Some valuable lives have been tragically lost for no reason.

The law minister of Bangladesh, Anisul Huq, mentioned that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina requested him to communicate with the demonstrators.

Ms. Hasina is the child of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who guided the nation to freedom and has up to this point refused to accept the demands of the demonstrators.

She stated: "There have been unnecessary losses of valuable lives. I strongly disapprove of each act of violence."

The government ceased the quotas following large student protests in 2018, but the High Court of Bangladesh mandated the quotas to be restored last month, leading to the current wave of demonstrations.

The highest court stopped the decision made by the lower court, and Ms Hasina is asking students to wait calmly until the government's appeal is reviewed on 7th August.

Organizations such as Amnesty International, the United Nations, and the United States have called on Bangladesh to safeguard peaceful demonstrators from harm.