Bangladesh protests are a reminder that authoritarian regimes have an inherent expiry date

Bangladesh under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will be remembered as a poignant case of how democratic aspirations can be suffocated by authoritarian rule. The recent student protests, which have spiraled into a nationwide crisis, underscore the deep discontent with her repressive governance. Hasina’s regime, marked by its heavy-handedness and erosion of democratic principles, is now facing its most significant challenge as students take to the streets, demanding an end to a corrupt quota system that epitomises the regime’s nepotism.

The spark for the current unrest is a controversial government job quota system that reserves a significant portion of public sector jobs for the families of veterans from Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War. This quota system, which was suspended in 2018 and reinstated by a court last month, began as a policy to honour those who fought for the nation’s freedom. However, it has morphed into a tool of political favouritism, disproportionately benefiting those loyal to Hasina’s ruling Awami League. There is no doubt that this system has become a breeding ground for corruption, undermining meritocracy, and disenfranchising the nation’s youth.

On Sunday, the Bangladesh Supreme Court scaled back, but did not abolish, most of the quotas.

The protests, which have now claimed over a hundred lives, started with students...

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