Bangladeshi community in Hungary demonstrates solidarity with quota protesters
The protesters aim to create international pressure to end police brutality and support the quota reform movement.
The Bangladeshi community in Hungary organised a demonstration in solidarity with the quota reform protesters in Bangladesh, expressing their outrage over the recent attack on students.
Tazrian Tithi, one of the coordinators of the demonstration, explained the motivation behind their actions.
"When students of Jahangirnagar University were under attack on the night of 15 July, as an alumnus of JU, I felt the urge to do something about it. On 16 July, I contacted the student community as well as the Bangladeshi community living in Hungary, and we organised the demonstration that same afternoon," Tithi said.
The situation escalated when news broke of a student being "shot to death" by police.
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"Our focus of the demonstration quickly escalated from not only quota reform but also to stopping police brutality," Tithi added.
The demonstration was held in front of the Hungarian Parliament Building in Budapest.
When the organisers approached Budapest police for permission, they found the authorities were already aware of the situation through international media.
"They were surprised that we are coming forward with this late," Tithi mentioned.
The protesters aim to create international pressure to end police brutality and support the quota reform movement.
"We are expressing solidarity with quota protesters and trying to create pressure so the police brutality can be stopped," Tithi stated.
Abdul Fattah, a PhD researcher at the University of Public Service in Budapest and an alumnus of the University of Dhaka, expressed his condemnation of the recent events.
"Our students deserve a better future, not torture. I hope the government understands the voice of these students and holds a dialogue to resolve the ongoing quota reform crisis. Additionally, I request Bangladeshi expatriates around the world to speak out against the injustice faced by these general students in universities," Fattah said.
This demonstration comes amid a volatile situation in Bangladesh, where nationwide protests have erupted following the deaths of several students during clashes with police.
The quota reform movement, which began as a call for changes to the government job quota system, has grown into a broader struggle against police violence and government repression.
