Bangladesh Shuts Universities Amid Deadly Protests Over Job Quotas>

Authorities in Bangladesh have urged universities to close following violent protests over government job allocations that resulted in the deaths of at least six people. Dhaka University, a focal point of the violence, has suspended classes and closed dormitories indefinitely. The University Grants Commission requested all universities to close, though compliance is uncertain. The unrest began over demands to end a quota reserving 30% of government jobs for families of 1971 independence war veterans, which protesters argue is discriminatory. The protests escalated with clashes involving police and pro-government activists, and spread to multiple cities. Police raided the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party headquarters, seizing weapons and arresting seven members. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina defended the quota, emphasizing the sacrifices of the veterans, while protesters continued to demand its removal. The quota system was previously suspended in 2018 but reinstated last month by a High Court decision, sparking the renewed protests.