Since July 1st, students have protested the unpopular proposal in which 30% of government jobs would be reserved for veterans of the 1971 War of Independence and their relatives. In a country with a youth unemployment rate of around 20% and a population of 170 million, a large number of otherwise eligible and competent people would have been forced out due to favouritism for veterans. As with basically every country on the planet over the last couple years, Bangladesh is suffering from inflation and an increasing cost-of-living, further exacerbating tensions.
The student protests have been met with significant violence by the government - local newspapers report that over a hundred protestors have been killed, and thousands have been injured. Guns and tear gas have been used. Additionally, the government has completely cut internet access throughout Bangladesh to prevent organizing, which has had some success in dividing protestors, but has also only further angered various parts of the country due to the massive impact to Bangladesh's online industries and various startups. And a national curfew has been in place to limit movement, with the population told to remain home if they want to be safe.
Yesterday, the Supreme Court of Bangladesh relented, stating that now, only 5% of government jobs would be reserved for veterans and their families. 2% would be allocated to members of minorities, with the remaining 93% distributed on merit. A period of tentative calm has arrived, but Hasnat Abdullah, a coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, has stated that unless the government restores the internet, removes the curfew, releases detainees, and forces certain ministers to resign within a few days, then the protests will resume.
The COTW (Country of the Week) label is designed to spur discussion and debate about a specific country every week in order to help the community gain greater understanding of the domestic situation of often-understudied nations. If you've wanted to talk about the country or share your experiences, but have never found a relevant place to do so, now is your chance! However, don't worry - this is still a general news megathread where you can post about ongoing events from any country.
The Country of the Week is Bangladesh! Feel free to chime in with books, essays, longform articles, even stories and anecdotes or rants. More detail here.
Defense Politics Asia's youtube channel and their map. Their youtube channel has substantially diminished in quality but the map is still useful.
Moon of Alabama, which tends to have interesting analysis. Avoid the comment section. Understanding War and the Saker: reactionary sources that have occasional insights on the war. Alexander Mercouris, who does daily videos on the conflict. While he is a reactionary and surrounds himself with likeminded people, his daily update videos are relatively brainworm-free and good if you don't want to follow Russian telegram channels to get news. He also co-hosts The Duran, which is more explicitly conservative, racist, sexist, transphobic, anti-communist, etc when guests are invited on, but is just about tolerable when it's just the two of them if you want a little more analysis.
On the ground: Patrick Lancaster, an independent and very good journalist reporting in the warzone on the separatists' side.
Unedited videos of Russian/Ukrainian press conferences and speeches.
Pro-Russian Telegram Channels:
Again, CW for anti-LGBT and racist, sexist, etc speech, as well as combat footage.
https://t.me/aleksandr_skif ~ DPR's former Defense Minister and Colonel in the DPR's forces. Russian language. https://t.me/Slavyangrad ~ A few different pro-Russian people gather frequent content for this channel (~100 posts per day), some socialist, but all socially reactionary. If you can only tolerate using one Russian telegram channel, I would recommend this one. https://t.me/s/levigodman ~ Does daily update posts. https://t.me/patricklancasternewstoday ~ Patrick Lancaster's telegram channel. https://t.me/gonzowarr ~ A big Russian commentator. https://t.me/rybar ~ One of, if not the, biggest Russian telegram channels focussing on the war out there. Actually quite balanced, maybe even pessimistic about Russia. Produces interesting and useful maps. https://t.me/epoddubny ~ Russian language. https://t.me/boris_rozhin ~ Russian language. https://t.me/mod_russia_en ~ Russian Ministry of Defense. Does daily, if rather bland updates on the number of Ukrainians killed, etc. The figures appear to be approximately accurate; if you want, reduce all numbers by 25% as a 'propaganda tax', if you don't believe them. Does not cover everything, for obvious reasons, and virtually never details Russian losses. https://t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses ~ Pro-Russian, documents abuses that Ukraine commits.
I don't get why people are so shocked about the Satanyahu congress speech circlejerk. This is the face of the West that everyone that pays attention fully knows. The imperialists in the US, Israel, UK, Germany, France, whatever are all one team and have the same donors and come from the same evil ass institutions. Expecting a drop of justice or conscience from these freaks is delusional. Stop paying attention to what Senator David Deportlatinowitz has to say or which congress seat Lisa Loveisraelson is stealing with AIPAC money, this is all worthless. The internal politics of the blob isn't important, the most evil and depraved scenario will happen and expecting anything different will just lead to constant disappointment.
exactly. the old world is dying and the new world is struggling to be born. and hundreds of monsters just gave a standing ovation in pointless defiance of the waves of history that will sweep them away.
Netanyahu will fall as Hitler once did, and hopefully in the same way
Nah killing himself in a bunker isn't enough, only through the hands of an orphaned Gazan live on Al Jazeera would be enough to extinguish the fire in our hearts.
As an American, I have to admit I’m not shocked but I do have a sick fascination with it. When you grow up on the civil religion, as much as you should just not give a fuck, you can’t help it. It’s like I need to be reminded of what I hate and why.
On some level we should be aware at the depravity so that we can spread awareness of it in real world and digital interaction and proselytizing liberals to take action.
For each disillusioned liberal there are hundreds of sunk cost fallacy liberal ideologues that need to find political expression outside of voting.
There were some points in Netanyahus speech where he was visibly shaken by the protesters, by the worms in his hotel, by the effigies. His mask slipped. He came off as a right wing hysteric, which he usually disguises better.
He is making our governments openly and brazenly rule through force and violence. Liberal court mannerisms and civility are eroding and diminishing in protection of a genocidal operation.
It must be stressed that only activism and labor can save us. Not the DNC nor the courts nor the media.