The youth of Bangladesh have seemingly had enough and are not prepared to stand by in silence any longer and just accept what is being dished out to them. Wherever you look nowadays nationwide you'll find angry and disillusioned university students gathered in large numbers chanting in raised voices against the possible return of the 56 per cent quota system in government jobs. And if that weren't enough, there's the question paper leak scandal that has delivered yet another painful blow to the youth.
The cherished dreams of many youth have almost faded into the distant past. They are trying hard to keep afloat in a raging whirlpool of severe unemployment. Astonishingly, according to various local and international studies, a staggering 47 per cent of educated youths in Bangladesh are unemployed. That's almost half of the university graduates whose families scrimped and saved, and most likely ran into debt to meet their exorbitant educational costs. The dire situation of joblessness at a time of high inflation is driving more and more young people to take desperate measures.
Their desperation could well be explained by the recent recruitment of 2,172 candidates by Bangladesh Railway for the position of waymen, which were all filled by master degree holders, though the qualification required for the job is an SSC certificate. The duties of a wayman include laying railway tracks and keeping those in repair. It is a low paying job and never included in the wish list of jobs by Master Degree graduates. Desperate times, however, demand desperate measures and one can only feel sympathy for the SSC degree holders as they watch these jobs evaporate before them. The despair has driven many youth to embark on perilous overseas journeys to escape the bleak reality of unemployment. Others, unable to carry the immense pressure, or seeing no other way out choose suicide as their exit and escape.
Against this heartbreaking backdrop of grief, misery, and desperation, the government's indifference and abject failure to assure the youths of upholding merit in the recruitment process have plunged many youth into a vortex of anger and rebellion. This is evidenced by the fact that hundreds of thousands of students are taking to the streets to protest as one voice and airing their grievances. Government's warnings, intimidation by the pro-government student wings and the ever-present possibility of a police baton cracking their bones are being braved and ignored. The determination they're displaying has not been seen since 2018 quota reform movement.
During the previous quota reform movement, the protesters had demanded that the 56 per cent quota reservation in civil service be reduced to 10 or 15 per cent. In a spur of the moment, however, the government abolished quota system altogether from 1st and 2nd class government jobs. Subsequently, the sons of freedom fighters took the matter to court and challenged the legality of the cancellation of the 30 per cent freedom fighter quota.
On June 5 this year the High Court declared that the cancellation of the quota was illegal, which sparked the current protest. The Appellate Division's subsequent order on July 10th imposing a month-long moratorium on the High Court's judgment has failed to quell the anger and frustrations of the demonstrators. Students remain resolute in their demands for a permanent solution. The government maintains that the matter is under judicial review.
Clearly, the youth of Bangladesh have reached the end of their tether. They stood by in silence observing the skullduggery and scandals unfolding before them. They've taken all they can take and are fed up with this sordid state of affairs. The government needs to seriously think and assess the situation to adopt measures to address the existing unemployment problem and ensure fairness in the recruiting process. It should not ignore the sad truth that social unrest and lawlessness have a lot to do with unemployment.
The nation is now speaking to the government through its youth.
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