Bangladesh’s student protesters are celebrating victory in the so-called ‘Gen Z revolution’. After just over a month, they have managed to topple prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who critics say has ruled the country with an iron fist for the past 15 years.
Hasina has resigned and fled to neighbouring India, in an exit that seems abrupt to many. Her initial response to the protests was one of repression and police violence – typical of her autocratic leadership – which led to the deaths of almost 200 people in recent weeks.
The protests began last month after the High Court reinstated a quota system for government jobs, which meant less than half of roles were assigned on merit alone, with a third reserved for relatives of freedom fighters in the 1971 war for independence from Pakistan. The quota system had previously been scrapped in 2018.
