Acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Tarique Rahman, has expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of six individuals during the ongoing quota reform protests.

In his verified X profile, the BNP leader wrote that he was “shocked and saddened” by the incidents that killed at least six students and injured thousands “by gunfire and sharp weapons wielded by the terrorists of the Awami League and law enforcement agencies.”

Tarique said students from various educational institutions across the country were protesting for the reform of the 56% quota system in Bangladesh's employment sector, demanding fair and equal opportunities based on meritocracy.

“The barbaric Sheikh Hasina regime, illegally seizing state power through sham elections, has once again proven that there is no space for innocent students to express their legitimate demands, let alone for opposition political opinions,” he wrote.

Tarique called upon “everyone, regardless of party affiliation, to unite against the atrocities of this illegal government.”

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