In light of the recent events in Bangladesh, the AGSEM Executive Committee condemns the extreme police brutality and spread of disinformation in response to the student protests, which took the lives of at least hundreds of students, left many with life threatening injuries, resulted in a nationwide, multi-day Internet blackout, police enforced curfews, and hundreds of arrests.
The AGSEM Executive Committee stands in solidarity with all Bangladeshi students advocating for equitable access to employment and a fair and transparent democracy. Protesting a job quota system in public sector employment that does not equitably serve the people of Bangladesh, the student movement stands for justice and equity in labour and education. As a labour union representing graduate student workers at McGill University, the AGSEM Executive Committee acknowledges the students’ legitimate and urgent demands for reform.
Students around the world have long advocated for justice and equity, and the right to peaceful protest is a cornerstone of democracy and an avenue through which to achieve material change. Echoing the call of the Bangladeshi Student Association at McGill, the AGSEM Executive Committee calls on the international academic community to support the Bangladeshi student movement in this time of crisis. As educators, workers, and students, we understand that the Bangladeshi struggle is also our own.
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