Written by Aveev Pankaj
On the 5th of August, 2024 a 15-year rule by Bangladesh’s increasingly authoritarian Sheikh Hasina came to an end. South Asia’s “Iron Lady” was no stranger to protests in a country of 173 million. Yet, all of her years of experience as the world’s longest serving female head of state couldn’t help her maintain power this time.
The Quota
In Bangladesh, government jobs (desired due to good pay, security, and respectability) were reserved in a quota system for women, minorities, and descendants of freedom fighters. While intended to promote inclusivity, it angered students who saw it as unfairly limiting their opportunities. Their main issue was the 30% quota for descendants of freedom fighters of the 1971 independence war. This quota favored the supporters of the Awami League (Sheikh Hasina’s party that had also led the struggle for independence). The students saw it as perpetuating inequality by handing out good government jobs to people based on their family background and not merit. Sheikh Hasina’s government had abolished the quotas in 2018 (after student protests) but a recent High Court ruling declared the scrapping unconstitutional. Even though the government started the appeal process, students took to the streets in early July. They used various social media platforms to organize large protests. Soon, clashes between the youth wing of the Awami League and the protestors became commonplace. The army and police were also called in leading to 6 deaths on July 17. As the news of the casualties spread, more and more people from different walks of life decided to join in the protests.
The Slur
Faced with expanding protests and increased street fighting, Sheikh Hasina decided to use a slur in a comment to the press, “If the grandchildren of freedom fighters do not receive (quota) benefits, who would get it? The grandchildren of Razakars?” Razakar is a highly offensive term meaning ‘volunteer’ for the Pakistani forces who committed genocide in the 1971 Bangladeshi Independence War. It is equivalent to calling someone a national traitor. On the streets chants such as “Who are you? Who am I? Razakar, Razakar!” became commonplace as the protestors took back the word. This was the turning point where the aims of the protest transformed from stopping the reimposition of the quota to fighting and ending the increasingly authoritarian Awami League government. There hasn’t been a free and fair election since 2008. The recent 2024 general election was boycotted by the opposition and only received 42% turnout. This electoral illiberalism is further compounded by Hasina’s curbing of independent judiciary and the use of police to suppress peaceful protests. Bangladesh looked like it was on the path to becoming a one-party state.
The Escape and the Aftermath
Monday, August 5: Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country. Even though the protestors’ main demand of ending the Job Quotas was fulfilled (the Supreme Court declared 93% of government jobs to be selected based on merit alone), they were still on the streets calling for Hasina to step down. After the military told Hasina they would no longer enforce a curfew and fire on civilians, she knew she had to escape lest the protestors storm her residence. Sheikh Hasina quickly requested India (an ally) for permission to escape there. Upon receiving the flight clearance, she and her sister boarded a military helicopter to New Delhi.
The president dissolved the parliament and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was asked to lead the interim government in cooperation with the military. From the Bangladesh Nationalist Party establishment to the families of the people who spoke out against Hasina, it was a moment of joy. The BNP leader and other political prisoners were released from their cells in the days following her outsting. The new government has even appointed an enforced disappearances commission to investigate human rights abuses by the security forces. Despite these changes, Bangladesh still faces various difficulties. Economically, private sector wages remain where they are at around $225 monthly and a diversification away from garment manufacturing looks unlikely to take place soon. Socially, the country is still divided with millions supporting the deposed Awami League party and with violent attacks on the Hindu minority prevalent. Corruption also remains prevalent with Bangladesh ranking 149th on the Corruption Perception Index.
Now there are a few paths open to Bangladesh. The student’s demands for a multiparty democracy could be met by interim prime minister Muhammad Yunus. But it is also possible that Bangladesh will descend into another dictatorship of the military or even the BNP. Whatever may happen - at least for now - the people’s voices have been heard.
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