Bangladesh authorities forcibly removed three student leaders from a hospital where they were receiving treatment for injuries allegedly sustained during police detention on Friday. The leaders—Nahid Islam, Asif Mahmud, and Abu Baker Majumder—are part of Students Against Discrimination, a group at the forefront of protests against government job quotas. These protests have escalated into violent confrontations with law enforcement, resulting in significant casualties and widespread unrest across the country.

On Friday, police in civilian clothing compelled the hospital to discharge the trio, despite medical staff expressing concerns about their health. Hospital supervisor Anwara Begum Lucky stated that the police pressured the administration to release the students, who were being treated for injuries they claimed were inflicted during prior police torture.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan stated that the removal of the student leaders was for their own safety, claiming they felt threatened. Additionally, he asserted on independent television that no students were arrested. However, activists described these actions as intimidation tactics aimed at silencing dissent. Prapti, a Bangladeshi student activist, said, “They have been under inhuman sorrow and pressure,” noting that family members of the detained students have been unable to contact them, leading to significant distress.

The recent unrest, which has resulted in at least 201 deaths, was sparked by the government’s reintroduction of a quota system for civil service jobs, reserving a significant percentage for specific groups, including relatives of war veterans. Initially, approximately 30 percent of government jobs were reserved for the children and grandchildren of veterans who fought in the 1971 War of Independence. This quota was part of a broader framework that resulted in 56 percent of positions being allocated to specific groups.

The government has faced accusations of using excessive force to suppress the demonstrations, including a nationwide internet blackout and curfews. In its report on Thursday, Amnesty International confirmed, from its video and photographic analysis, that Bangladeshi authorities have abusively adopted less-lethal weapons, dangerously used tear gas in an enclosed university, and used lethal firearms. These constituted unlawful and unnecessary use of force. Senior Director at Amnesty International Deprose Muchena urged the Bangladeshi authorities to “respect the right to protest, end this violent crackdown and immediately lift all communications restrictions.”

Despite the Supreme Court’s reduction of the government job quota system to 5 percent for families of independence fighters, student protesters in Bangladesh vow to continue their demonstrations. They demand the complete abolition of the quota system, justice for over 100 students killed during recent clashes, and the release of detained activists. The government’s use of excessive force, internet shutdowns, and curfews have further fueled the unrest, with protesters insisting on these measures being lifted before they end their actions.