The current crisis in Bangladesh represents a struggle over the nation’s political future. On one side stands the 76-year-old Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has not conducted genuinely free, fair, and inclusive elections in the past 15 years. Hasina seems intent on transitioning Bangladesh from an autocracy to a totalitarian state.
In her vision, her government faces no accountability, and any protests are met with violent repression, including death, torture, enforced disappearances, and imprisonment. Protesters are labelled ‘anti-state’, ‘anti-independence’, and ‘conspirators’ who supposedly threaten the vision of Hasina’s late father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, for a ‘golden Bengal’.
Opposing her are hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshi students and political opponents demanding a more accountable government and greater participation in decision-making. They seek to realise their democratic aspirations, particularly by advocating for reforms in the public service quota system.
For the past 15 years, Bangladeshis from all walks of life have shown resilience against autocratic governance, employing innovative techniques to challenge it. The current student pushback against Hasina’s ambitions exemplifies this ‘democratic bricolage— the creative ways in which democratic ideals and popular participation are upheld, contesting autocracy.
In 2018, students protested against the 30 per cent public service quota reserved for independence fighters and their descendants, arguing it had become redundant 50 years after independence and was used by Hasina’s government to recruit party loyalists. This protest led to the quota system's abolition, only for it to be reinstated this year, sparking further student protests.
Students peacefully protested at universities, valuing their democratic freedoms and right to protest. Hasina responded by labelling them "razakars", a derogatory term for those who sided with Pakistan in the 1971 war for independence. This accusation infuriated protesters, who chanted slogans calling Hasina a dictator.
In response, Hasina’s government allegedly deployed the Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of her Awami League party, to violently attack protesters. Police were reportedly seen supporting these attacks, using physical force inside university campuses.
The initially peaceful protests turned violent, with students allegedly setting fire to the state television building in Dhaka, perceived as a government mouthpiece. Hasina’s government then deployed all security forces — police, military, border guards, and intelligence agencies — to suppress the protests. An internet blackout and strict curfew were enforced, with a ‘shoot-on-sight’ order for offenders or unruly crowds.
The results were horrific. Conservative estimates suggest about 200 people were killed, mostly students, with some victims being children. Students and some media sources claim the real figure is much higher, with reports of helicopters shooting at protesters and concerns from UN officials about the misuse of UN-marked vehicles. Bangladesh’s armed forces and border guards, meant to defend the country, were seen shooting at their own citizens.
In response, the government reduced the quota to 7 per cent —5 per cent for veterans’ descendants and 2 per cent for ethnic minorities and people with disabilities or identifying as transgender. However, this move cannot undo the brutality of the crackdown, unprecedented in Bangladeshi history.
With the internet partially restored, harrowing videos and photos have emerged, showing unarmed civilians shot and left on the streets, many losing limbs or eyes. Some student protest leaders were forcibly disappeared, tortured, and coerced into compromising with the government.
Despite re-establishing control over the streets, Hasina faces significant challenges. The tortured and beaten student leaders, who were later released, held a press conference demanding Hasina take responsibility for the mass killings and publicly apologise. This challenge is profound for Hasina, who, like any totalitarian leader, considers herself the state, answerable to nobody.
By demanding accountability for the violence against them, these students demonstrate their democratic resilience, showing that the struggle to restore democracy in Bangladesh is far from over.
Follow us
