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Bangladesh 2.0: Youth-led movement ends Sheikh Hasina's 16-year rule, seeks reform

How the youth-led protest converged to a single demand
Written byRezwan

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Posted 12 August 2024 17:44 GMT
People cheering in front of the Prime Minister's office following Sheikh Hasina's resignation. Image by Md Joni Hossain Via Wikipedia. CC BY-SA 4.0.

People cheering in front of the Prime Minister's office following Sheikh Hasina's resignation. Image by Md Joni Hossain Via Wikipedia. CC BY-SA 4.0.

After massive nationwide protests, Bangladesh’s Iron Lady Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed, who had ruled the country for nearly 16 years, resigned and fled to neighboring India on a military aircraft on August 5, 2024. The protests, which began in July, were led by a platform called Students Against Discrimination (SAD), demanding an end to the use of a quota system in public service examinations. Thousands of citizens and diaspora members rallied to support the students in what has been dubbed the Gen-Z Revolution even as heavy-handed measures by security forces failed to quell the growing unrest.

On August 5, 2024, at around 4 pm local time, Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman announced in a televised address the resignation of the Prime Minister and the formation of an interim government.

Nobel laureate and founder of the Grameen Bank, a Bangladeshi microfinance bank, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, took the oath as the chief of the interim government on August 8, 2024, along with 16 advisers. Two coordinators from the student protests joined this team of both young and experienced advisers.

Yunus urged the people to feel secure despite the ongoing violence due to a police strike all across the country and refrain from seeking vengeance or retaliation.

A single demand

The student protests began in early July over a corrupt government quota system in various universities and institutions. On July 15, pro-government students and hired gangs attacked students at Dhaka University, sparking outcry across the country. This outcry quickly escalated as people took to the streets and began to demand reform.

Sweden-based academic from India, Ashok Swain, posted on X:

The protests devolved into violence on July 16th, resulting in six deaths and starting a period of uncertainty and violence. The protesters announced a complete transportation shutdown on July 17 and 18. Clashes between protesters and law enforcement, targeted arson on key government installations by unknown quarters, and widespread chaos spread across the country as family members of the protesting students and ordinary citizens joined the protests, blocking roads.

The government imposed a complete internet ban from July 18th to the night of July 23, which fuelled a disinformation campaign by anti-government activists, including opposition figures in the diaspora. When broadband internet was restored on the evening of July 23rd, followed by mobile internet restoration on July 28th, public outrage grew over the government's actions and the loss of innocent lives — most of whom were young. From July 16 to August 4, over 300 people died and thousands of people were injured in the first round of protests.

Read More: Freedom of assembly and freedom of expression curtailed as deadly student protests rock Bangladesh

By July 27, several of the main coordinators of SAD were detained by the Detective Branch of Police. On July 29th, a televised declaration from these coordinators announced that they were ending their protest, a declaration they later confirmed was made under duress. By July 29th, the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) had declared solidarity with the student protests and demanded the resignation of the prime minister.

On August 3, 2024, protesters from SAD organized a massive rally called the “March for Justice” at Central Shahid Minar in Dhaka, where they presented a one-point demand: the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her cabinet members. Earlier, the Prime Minister had invited them to her office for discussions, but they refused, stating it was too late and that they could not betray the memory of their fallen comrades. Additionally, they called for a 15-point non-cooperation movement, urging all citizens to join the protest and pressure the government to meet their demand.

Apart from ordinary citizens, many artists, teachers, lawyers, doctors, and other professionals joined the student protests, turning it into a mass people uprising against the government. As more people joined the protests, Hasina remained steadfast claiming that those involved in the “sabotage” and destruction under the guise of protests were no longer students but criminals, and she urged the public to deal with them harshly.

On July 19, 2024, a curfew was first imposed and was gradually relaxed during the day as the conflict seemingly calmed. However, on August 4, 2024, after an intense day of violence during the “non-cooperation movement” resulted in nearly 100 deaths, an indefinite curfew was declared starting at 6 pm local time. The situation was appearing increasingly ominous.

The resignation of Sheikh Hasina and the violent aftermath

The students declared a “March to Dhaka” movement, and on the morning of August 5, thousands of people began marching to Dhaka, defying the curfew. A complete internet blackout was imposed from 10:30 am and local TV channels provided little info.

Around 1:30 pm local time, the internet ban was lifted, leaving people wondering what had happened. Local TV channels then began broadcasting scenes of thousands of people marching through the streets of Dhaka. During that time, news broke on TV that the Prime Minister had resigned and fled to neighbouring India on a military aircraft. The army chief's address, first scheduled at 2 pm local time, was postponed until around 4 pm, where he confirmed the resignation and mentioned that an interim government would soon be formed.

After Hasina's resignation, numerous gruesome incidents unfolded across the country. Some members of the public were outraged at the police for their corrupt practices and brutal attacks on protesters at the behest of the regime, and subsequently turned their wrath on the police forces. Around 450 of the 650 police stations across the country were attacked by angry protestors and unknown mobs, and dozens of officers died in arson attacks. The entire police system crumbled as many senior officers and constables went into hiding to protect themselves from public ire. On August 6, the police went on strike, leaving the country in a state of anarchy.

As the world watched disturbing images of mobs entering the Ganabhaban (PM's office and residence) and the parliament, it is important to note that these events occurred as the army had withdrawn the usual heavy security from these locations, allowing ordinary people to enter. Many entered out of curiosity, while some took advantage of the situation to loot.

In the absence of the country's over 256,000 police members, widespread violence erupted across the country. Many icons and statues of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the father of the nation and Hasina's father, were vandalised, including premises owned by Awami League, her party. Revenge attacks on Awami League leaders and their premises, as well as attacks on minority communities, took place across the country. Since August 5, the day of Hasina's resignation, over 232 people have been killed. More than 90 ministers and members of parliament from the Awami League are now in hiding and are believed to have left the country.

A lot of disinformation is being spread by some sections of Indian media, claiming that the attacks on the Hindu population were carried out by the Muslim majority due to communal hatred. However, members of the Hindu community describe them as targeted and politically motivated. The departure of Hasina, who has taken refuge in India, has strained the relationship between the two countries.

Indian Congress MP Shashi Tharoor tweeted:

A new government and the power of youth

As the new interim government was sworn in on August 8, 2024, the nation looks to restore law and order.

With the traffic police absent from August 6, the traffic system collapsed nationwide. However, student volunteers stepped up to control the traffic. People appreciated their efforts, with some providing them with umbrellas and food.

The volunteers also took the initiative to clean up the vandalism that occurred following Hasina's departure, and they are painting over the damaged walls to restore a sense of normalcy to the nation.

It remains to be seen what will transpire in Bangladesh's near future.

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Written byRezwan

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