Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) on Thursday criticized the government's use of force to suppress the recent student protests for quota reformation in government jobs.

The organization highlighted the resulting deaths and chaos, exacerbated by opportunistic groups, as evidence of acute governance deficits.

TIB emphasized that peaceful protests and demonstrations are constitutional rights and urged the government to cease repressive measures against the students.

They also called for the immediate acceptance of the students' legitimate demands and an end to abductions and repression.

Furthermore, TIB urged the government to engage in dialogue with the full group of student coordinators to develop a mutually agreed roadmap for implementing the government's commitments.

The organization stressed the need for the government to learn from the crisis and take corrective action.

TIB Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman expressed deep concern over the recorded deaths of 200 individuals during and after the quota reformation movement for government jobs.

He attributed the escalation of the initially peaceful movement into a violent and bloody one to the provocation of high-level government leadership.

Dr. Iftekharuzzaman reminded the government that the constitution guarantees the right to peaceful protest and dissent.He lamented the significant loss of life and damage to state property, despite the government's own characterization of the movement as peaceful.

He emphasized the urgent need for accountability, especially given the reports of deaths unrelated to the protests, including those of children and teenagers.

Dr. Iftekharuzzaman questioned whether those responsible for the deaths caused by point-blank shootings and other incidents would be held accountable.

He also raised concerns about the limited scope of the judicial commission's investigation, which will only focus on six deaths that occurred on July 16th. He asked, "Are the rest of the lives worthless? Should we accept dying by bullets at home as normal events?"

Dr. Iftekharuzzaman criticized the decision to shut down the internet as deeply damaging, stating, "The blanket shutdown of internet services across the country, under the pretext of an arson attack on a data center, violates digital rights and isolates citizens from the global community.”

“It appears evident that the primary intent is to suppress the free flow of information and expression. Access to the internet is not a privilege but a fundamental right that the government seems to be forgetting. This abrupt action has caused extensive harm to financial transactions, banking systems, export businesses, and has hindered access to essential services such as gas and electricity. Who will be held accountable for these consequences?"

"Temporarily shutting down the internet, while advocating slogans from 'Digital Bangladesh' to 'Smart Bangladesh,' is contradictory and shortsighted. To restore trade, commerce, and ensure unrestricted access to information, TIB urges the government to immediately restore full mobile and broadband internet services," he said.

—