Bangladesh Student Protests Escalate into Major Movement Against Authoritarian Rule
https://youtu.be/PUn0xvbrnzI
Critics Argue PM's Crackdown Reveals Nervousness and Erosion of Fear
By Redwan Ahmed in Dhaka and Hannah Ellis-Petersen in Delhi
Fri 26 Jul 2024 14.56 BST
Hasan still has metal pellets from the police's assault embedded deep in his bones. Fearing arrest for his role in the widespread protests that have erupted across Bangladesh this month, Hasan has been in hiding for a week, living in "constant panic and trauma."
"Every time I hear a car or motorbike, I worry it might be the police coming for me," he said.
When the 33-year-old telecommunications graduate joined the protests in Dhaka at the beginning of July, they were peaceful demonstrations. Students nationwide mobilized against the reintroduction of quotas for government jobs, which allocated 30% of positions to descendants of those who fought in the 1971 war of independence.
Although this decision came from the courts, many viewed it as a political maneuver by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has considerable influence over the judiciary. The quota system was seen as a way to placate her Awami League party and consolidate her power by filling government posts with loyalists. This move ignited outrage among students already struggling with economic hardship and high youth unemployment. The introduction of quotas was perceived as a blow to merit-based opportunities for securing stable jobs, leading to thousands of civil service positions being filled through patronage.
As support for the protests grew, the government's response turned violent. The once peaceful campuses became battlegrounds, resulting in approximately 200 deaths and thousands injured. The Guardian reported that the Rapid Action Battalion, Bangladesh’s elite police unit, used teargas from helicopters and army forces fired on protesters with what appeared to be light machine guns. Amnesty International confirmed the use of teargas and live ammunition, including shotguns and assault rifles, against unarmed protesters. On Thursday, UN human rights chief Volker Türk called for an independent investigation into the “horrific violence.”
The severity of the crackdown has shifted the protest movement's focus from quotas to a broader fight against Hasina’s increasingly authoritarian rule. “This has become a mass movement against a dictator,” Hasan said, speaking under a pseudonym to protect his identity. “The prime minister has been in power for 15 years and has entrenched her control over state institutions, making her feel invincible. She has become a tyrant.” Hasan witnessed violent clashes as government-backed student groups and riot police, operating under “shoot to kill” orders, attacked peaceful protesters, sparking some of the worst violence in Bangladesh in over a decade.
During a recent protest at a Dhaka university, Hasan saw armed pro-government student groups and riot police launch a coordinated assault. “They attacked us from all sides,” he recounted. “We tried to defend ourselves, but we were mostly unarmed. The police and their allies surrounded us, firing stun grenades, teargas, rubber bullets, and pellets from shotguns.”
Hasan described the chaos as protesters around him fell from the barrage of rubber bullets and metal pellets. He was hit multiple times, requiring hospitalization and surgery to remove the pellets lodged in his bones.
**Faria, 23, an economics student at a public university in Bangladesh, experienced similar chaos during a protest in Dhaka. She alleged that she was attacked by Chhatra League members, who beat her with sticks and yanked her hair. As the situation escalated, riot police began firing teargas, and she could hear gunshots.**
Faria recounted: “There were deafening explosions from sound grenades, and our eyes stung from the teargas. Continuous rifle shots rang out, and we began to retreat in search of safety.”
“Suddenly, a man collapsed in front of me, clutching his throat as blood streamed out. He had been hit by some kind of bullet and was in shock, unable to scream. I don’t know what happened to him after that. I still have nightmares about that moment.”
In response to the protests, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina claimed that the violence was incited by political opponents and Islamist groups opposed to Bangladesh's sovereignty. She asserted that paramilitary and police forces were deployed to “protect” the students. Over 2,500 members of the opposition have been arrested.
Exiled Bangladeshi political analyst Mubashar Hasan criticized Hasina’s approach, stating that “violent crackdowns on dissent have been a hallmark of Sheikh Hasina’s government for over a decade,” citing numerous killings, enforced disappearances, and mass incarcerations of her critics. He observed that the current unrest reflects a growing clash between democracy and Hasina’s authoritarianism. “These protests signal a major struggle between democratic aspirations and Hasina’s drive towards totalitarian control. Although trust in Hasina has been eroded for some time, this is the first instance of such widespread, defiant demands for her removal,” he said. Hasan noted that while the future remains uncertain, the mass mobilization has significantly weakened Hasina’s position, posing the most significant challenge to her rule since she assumed power in 2009. “The intensity of the crackdown reveals her nervousness. The climate of fear is crumbling, and it’s unclear how she will maintain her grip on power.”
Following a court ruling on Sunday that reduced the job quotas to just 5%, a tentative calm settled over Bangladesh. Student leaders halted protests, citing a desire to prevent further bloodshed, and presented Hasina with demands for an apology and justice for the victims. However, the deadline for Hasina’s response passed on Thursday night without any acknowledgment.
Student activists have indicated that further actions are planned, but many organizers are either hospitalized, detained, or under surveillance by a counter-terrorism unit known for its involvement in enforced disappearances. Some activists are reportedly under de facto house arrest with communication cut off.
As Bangladesh remains under an indefinite curfew, which has devastated livelihoods, Hasan, the protester, stated: “The protest isn’t over. The government might think it has won, but it hasn’t. This is just a pause. The movement will return stronger. The prime minister is weakening every day. Next time, neither curfews nor the army will be able to suppress the people.”
