Protests erupt across Finland in response to unrest in Bangladesh

Protests are taking place across Finland today in response to the unrest in Bangladesh. Organized by the Bangladeshi Student Alliance Finland, demonstrators are calling for an end to the violence in their home country. Protests are reported in cities including Helsinki, Joensuu, and Jyväskylä.

According to AFP, over 160 people have died and hundreds of police officers have been injured in demonstrations primarily organized by students in Bangladesh. Many have also been hospitalized. The protests began last week following a decision by the Bangladeshi judiciary to reinstate a quota that reserves one-third of government jobs for the family members of soldiers who participated in the 1971 independence war. This quota had previously been abolished in 2018.

Last Sunday, Bangladesh’s Supreme Court reversed a lower court’s decision, stipulating that government employees must be hired based solely on merit. Despite this ruling, protests are expected to continue.

Images captured at the rallies show a gathering of approximately 70 individuals in Joensuu, including many children, holding a caricature of a Bangladeshi ruler. Another image depicts a crowd in Helsinki’s Narinkka Square protesting against the violence in Bangladesh.