Bangladesh continues curfew as students await official notice on government job reforms

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Updated 22 July 2024
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Bangladesh continues curfew as students await official notice on government job reforms

Bangladesh continues curfew as students await official notice on government job reforms
  • Bangladesh internet connection has been cut off since Thursday night
  • Main student group says not all of their demands have been met 

DHAKA: Bangladesh remains under curfew and a widespread communications blackout on Monday, a day after the Supreme Court scaled back a controversial job-quota system following deadly clashes that have killed more than 100 people over the past week. 

University students have been demonstrating since the beginning of this month to demand a reformation of the quota system that reserved 30 percent of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s 1971 liberation war. 

The peaceful protests turned violent last week, with clashes between student protesters and security forces killing 174 people and injuring thousands, according to a count by Bengali daily Prothom Alo, which reported over a dozen deaths on Sunday alone. 

Bangladesh was still under curfew for a third day on Monday, with military personnel patrolling the capital and other areas, while internet connection remained suspended across the country since it was disrupted from Thursday night. 

“Everything is in order today across the country, except a few separate incidents in Dhaka, Narayanganj and Narsingdi,” Biplab Barua, special assistant to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, told Arab News. 

“We hope that in the next 48 hours, the situation will take a better look, and the country will go for normal operations. We are expecting to restore the broadband Internet services tonight (Monday). As soon as the situation takes a normal look, the length of curfew hours will be eased.” 

On Sunday, the Supreme Court ordered for the quota reserved for relatives of veterans to be cut to 5 percent and for 93 percent of jobs to be allocated on merit, while the remaining 2 percent will be reserved for members of ethnic minorities and people with disabilities. 

Bangladesh’s top court was ruling on an appeal. The government had abolished the quotas following student protests in 2018 but they were reinstated by the High Court in June, setting off a fresh round of demonstrations. 

“Our students are not responsible for the anarchy and atrocities on the streets. It’s the opposition parties … which hijacked the movement from the students,” Barua said. 

“Students’ demands have been fulfilled by the court, and the government will issue a circular by Tuesday regarding the quota system in the government job.” 

Students Against Discrimination, the main protest organizing group, said on Monday that some of their demands are still unmet, including the reopening of universities as well as investigations into the deadly crackdown. 

Student protesters are also waiting for the government to issue an official notification on the Supreme Court decision. 

“Since the curfew is underway, we are not on the streets at the moment. It will endanger the lives of our students,” Sarjis Alam, a protest coordinator with Students Against Discrimination, told Arab News.  

“At the moment, we are waiting to see the government circular on the quota system … We demanded reformation of quota systems in all grades of government jobs … It’s very important to us,” he said. “(After) seeing the government’s circular, we can comment whether our demands were addressed or not.” 


Julian Assange open to political action as Cannes hosts documentary

Julian Assange open to political action as Cannes hosts documentary
Updated 16 sec ago
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Julian Assange open to political action as Cannes hosts documentary

Julian Assange open to political action as Cannes hosts documentary
  • WikiLeaks founder makes surprise showing at festival
  • The Six Billion Dollar Man documentary premiered at Cannes and it highlights Assange's extradition fight
CANNES: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who is at the Cannes Film Festival this week for the documentary “The Six Billion Dollar Man,” is thinking about how to become politically active again once he has fully recovered from prison, said his wife, Stella.
Assange, 53, returned to his native Australia after pleading guilty last June under an agreement with US officials to one count of illegally obtaining and disclosing national security materials.
The plea ended Assange’s five-year stay in a British prison, which followed seven years at the Ecuadorian embassy as he sought to avoid extradition to Sweden on sexual assault allegations.
Assange denied those allegations and called them a pretext to extradite him to the United States over WikiLeaks.
WikiLeaks in 2010 released hundreds of thousands of classified US military documents on Washington’s wars in Afghanistan and Iraq — the largest security breaches of their kind in US military history — along with swaths of diplomatic cables.
“He was in a very grave situation in the prison. He’s recovering from that,” Stella Assange told Reuters in Cannes.
“But now he’s coming to understand how grave the situation outside (prison) is and thinking, making plans to find the means of what to do about it,” she added.
“He’s very, very concerned about the state of the world and the state that we’re all in right now,” said Stella, who met Assange in London in 2011 while working as part of his legal team.
Julian and Stella Assange, wearing a brooch with a picture of British designer Vivienne Westwood holding a sign saying “Stop Killing,” walked the red carpet on Wednesday evening.
Julian has so far not spoken at any of his appearances.
Assange’s fight against extradition
The documentary from Emmy-winning director Eugene Jarecki takes on the tone of a high-tech international thriller to recount Assange’s fight against extradition, using WikiLeaks footage and archives, and previously unpublished evidence.
Jarecki, who began filming before Assange was released, said he never expected to see him walk around Cannes as a free man.
By inviting Assange, the festival was sending a message about the need for freedom of information and a free press, Jarecki told Reuters, as those values are in decline in many parts of the world according to an index from Reporters without Borders.
The director called Assange “a canary in the coal mine” in foretelling the US government’s current moves to exert more control over media access to US President Donald Trump.
“If we had taken that bit more seriously, we might have seen a bunch of this coming,” said the US director.
Assange’s lawyer, Jennifer Robinson, told Reuters that the film portrayed the WikiLeaks founder as he should be shown.
“This film is absolutely necessary in terms of telling the story of free speech and what Julian Assange, his case means for the world, not just for him, but for the world,” she said.

Rubio says some ‘optimism’ Gaza war could end ‘pretty quickly’

Rubio says some ‘optimism’ Gaza war could end ‘pretty quickly’
Updated 4 min 59 sec ago
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Rubio says some ‘optimism’ Gaza war could end ‘pretty quickly’

Rubio says some ‘optimism’ Gaza war could end ‘pretty quickly’
  • “We may have breakthrough achievements,” Rubio told a congressional hearing

WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced guarded optimism Wednesday for a solution “pretty quickly” to end the Gaza war.
“I have some level of optimism that we may have breakthrough achievements here quickly, hopefully on an end to this and the release of all the hostages,” Rubio told a congressional hearing.


Polish pianist brings Europe’s musical soul to Saudi Arabia’s capital

Polish pianist brings Europe’s musical soul to Saudi Arabia’s capital
Updated 12 min 26 sec ago
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Polish pianist brings Europe’s musical soul to Saudi Arabia’s capital

Polish pianist brings Europe’s musical soul to Saudi Arabia’s capital

RIYADH: As part of the cultural dialogue between the EU and Saudi Arabia, the embassy of the EU in the Kingdom organized a musical evening at the Saudi Music Hub in Riyadh.

Speaking at “The European Piano Recital,” the EU ambassador said: “Saudi Arabia is a close ally with whom we enjoy close relations. My only wish is that music will serve to build bridges and bring our artists and our peoples closer together.”

During the recital, Polist vituoso pianist Wojciech Waleczek took the audience on a journey through the 27 countries of the EU, performing classical works that highlight the continent’s cultural diversity.

The pianist is renowned internationally for his artistic excellence and his commitment to spreading classical music throughout the world. He is also professor of musical arts at the University of Silesia in Katowice.

Waleczek told Arab News: “These were works by composers from all the countries of the European Union. We asked composers from each EU country to write a piece, which we presented this evening.

“I think this is a very important event, because we can exchange our cultures. For example, in Europe we can listen to music from other continents. Just as in Europe, we can listen to music from other continents. So we can bring European culture to other countries. That’s why I do it. I’ve discovered Polish culture and now I’d like to share it with Saudi audiences.”

Waleczek has a very active international career. He performs solo recitals, chamber music and as a soloist with orchestras in more than 40 countries, notably in Europe, the Middle East, America and Asia, and collaborates with many prestigious orchestras.

He closed his recital with a performance of Schiller’s poem “Ode to Joy,” which expresses an idealistic vision of human brotherhood, a vision shared by Beethoven. In 1972, the Council of Europe adopted the theme of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” as its anthem, and in 1985 the leaders of the EU adopted it as their official anthem.

Waleczek said: “I played the ‘Ode to Joy,’ which is the anthem of the European Union, and this piece is very special. I think that, in today’s world, we must always remember that we are the guardians of peace.”

A specialist in the repertoire of Franz Liszt, his recordings include “Grandes etudes de Paganini” (2017), “Harmonies poetiques et religieuses” in 2019, and “Weihnachtsbaum” in 2024. He also performs works by Franz Schubert, such as “Rarities and Short Piano Works” in 2021.

Alongside his artistic career, he teaches at the Institute of Musical Arts at the University of Silesia. He is also vice president of the SIGNUM association, which promotes classical music in Poland and abroad.

The recital concert is part of efforts to strengthen cultural links between Europe and Saudi Arabia and accompanies the Kingdom’s artistic and cultural transformation under Vision 2030.


Festival of fun: Riyadh expo highlights best in entertainment technology

Festival of fun: Riyadh expo highlights best in entertainment technology
Updated 19 min 8 sec ago
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Festival of fun: Riyadh expo highlights best in entertainment technology

Festival of fun: Riyadh expo highlights best in entertainment technology
  • Saudi Entertainment and Amusement Expo set to welcome 12,000 visitors over 3 days
  • Hologram zoo, inflatable monsters among attractions on show

Some of the weirdest and most wonderful innovations are on show at this year’s Saudi Entertainment and Amusement Expo in Riyadh.

With 350 exhibitors plus talks and discussions with industry leaders from around the world, the three-day event opened on Tuesday and is expected to attract about 12,000 visitors.

Among the products on show is a hologram zoo designed by Australian company Axiom Holographics, which was featured in Time magazine’s list of technologies of the year for 2023.

Brendan Hodgkins, global sales manager, said: “We package a full suite of hologram equipment that can be integrated into family entertainment centers, theme parks or shopping malls.

“During our trials, we attracted 25,000 people in just 42 days, generating over $550,000 in revenue.”

He said that the company had already sold more than 40 of its “zoos” around the world and was keen to expand into the Saudi market.

“We’re eager to bring this innovation to Saudi Arabia to help shape the future of entertainment in the Kingdom.”

Another of the exhibits on show, and possibly the largest, is a 20-meter tall inflatable ogre, designed and built by Anka Inflatable Co. from Guangzhou in southern China.

A representative of the company, who gave his name only as John, said the product was ideal for larger venues, like amusement parks.

While the purple monster attracted plenty of visitors at the show, the technology can be adapted to suit the end-user’s needs, John said.

“(It) can be customized in many shapes and the skin can be changed after one, two, or three years. It’s also collapsible and easy to transport,” he said.

Anka was also keen to increase its profile in the region, he said.

“Many of my friends have built successful companies here. The relationship between China and Saudi Arabia is strong and this is a very good market for us.”

Besides the products on show, the expo is also being used to attract new people into the industry, with the Saudi Entertainment Academy promoting a series of training programs with links to future career opportunities.

“Our vision is to focus on professional training through diploma programs,” Sultan bin Jumaiah, a sales specialist with the academy, said.

“We aim to provide professional candidates for companies looking to hire. After completing our diploma, students will have the opportunity to join various companies in this sector.”

The initiative aligns with Saudi Vision 2030, which seeks to diversify the economy and create new job opportunities for Saudi citizens.


Russia says it downed hundreds of Ukrainian drones, briefly halts Moscow airports

Russia says it downed hundreds of Ukrainian drones, briefly halts Moscow airports
Updated 16 min ago
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Russia says it downed hundreds of Ukrainian drones, briefly halts Moscow airports

Russia says it downed hundreds of Ukrainian drones, briefly halts Moscow airports
  • Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Telegram that at least 262 Ukrainian drones were intercepted or destroyed
  • Most were over Russia’s western regions bordering Ukraine and central Russia

MOSCOW: Russia said on Wednesday that its air defenses shot down more than 260 Ukrainian drones including some approaching Moscow, and the capital’s airports were briefly shut down to ensure the safety of flights.

There were no reports of casualties.

As Russia, Ukraine, the United States and European powers discuss ways to end the more than three-year-old conflict in Ukraine, fighting has intensified on some parts of the front and drone warfare has continued.

In a series of announcements, Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Telegram that at least 262 Ukrainian drones were intercepted or destroyed on Wednesday. Most were over Russia’s western regions bordering Ukraine and central Russia.

But some approached the Moscow region where 21 million people live. The three major airports in the region halted flights briefly then resumed operations.

Ukraine’s military said its drones hit the Bolkhovsky Semiconductor Devices Plant, a supplier in the Oryol region to Russian fighter jet and missile makers.

The war in Ukraine, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people, has become a crucible of drone innovation as both sides send the unmanned vehicles far behind the front lines.

Moscow and Kyiv have sought to buy and develop new drones, deploy them innovatively and devise new methods to disable and destroy them, from farmers’ shotguns to electronic jamming.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces were advancing at key points along the front, and pro-Russian war bloggers said Russia had pierced the Ukrainian lines between Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly video address the heaviest frontline battles were around Pokrovsk and made no reference to any Russian advances.

Zelensky said Ukrainian forces remained active in two Russian regions along the border — Kursk and Belgorod.

Reuters could not independently verify battlefield accounts from either side.