asadullah16_ MUNIR UZ ZAMANAFP via Getty Images_bangladesh MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP via Getty Images

An Arab Spring for Bangladesh?

Student protests against the Bangladeshi government’s job-quota system culminated in a weeks-long violent crackdown and a ruling from the Supreme Court that 93% of public-service jobs must be given on merit. But the protests, despite being temporary quelled, could still expand into a wider anti-government movement.

DHAKA – In recent weeks, the Bangladeshi government has cracked down violently on students demanding equitable access to coveted government jobs amid an unemployment crisis. To contain the protests, authorities have shut down all educational institutions, imposed a strict curfew, and cut off internet access. Thousands of police officers and paramilitaries have been patrolling the streets, and more than 170 people have died.

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