Bangladesh cuts mobile internet as student protests over jobs intensify
Al JazeeraJul 20
The Facts
Bangladesh has imposed a curfew and deployed the army across the country after the week-long student protests against a government jobs quota left more than 130 people dead and injured over 300 police officers.
This comes after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government ordered the nationwide shutdown of the country's mobile internet network, while police responded to protesters who violated a ban on public gatherings.
The Spin
Narrative A
The opposition is backing the violent, unruly protests for political gain. Bangladeshi freedom fighters deserve the highest respect for sacrificing their life and abandoning their dreams. The country must reward their sacrifice and ensure their descendants are always provided for. Moreover, the Bangladeshi economy has seen a steady growth rate, and the private sector is a significant employer, so the high unemployment rate is a lie. Students must present their arguments in court, not take the country for ransom.
Narrative B
Hasina's government has deployed riot police to quell students' fundamental right to protest peacefully instead of protecting them against threats or violence. Bangladeshi youth face high unemployment, yet Hasina wants to implement a discriminatory quota system that unfairly benefits her supporters. While the war heroes must be applauded for their role in the country's independence, their descendants shouldn't be granted endless undue advantages.