Day 1,878: venal, enfeebled, thuggish, patronage, curfew
The problems are venal political dynasties and the enfeebled institutions that have failed to stand up to them.
A rigged election in January confirmed the country had descended into thuggish one-party rule. In July mass student protests erupted against the reimposition of reservations of 30% of government jobs for descendants of veterans of the war of liberation in the 1970s, which protesters saw as patronage for supporters of Sheikh Hasina’s party, the Awami League (al). The unrest became a broader uprising and the government responded with a shoot-to-kill curfew. Over 450 people have died.