The fall of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, following protests over a quota on public sector jobs, marks a monumental change for Bangladesh; the Awami League had its 15-year autocratic reign ended in emphatic fashion. The corruption and exploitation that had been so rampant was finally uncovered, but the manner in which she fell received little coverage from Western sources. Having been in Bangladesh for the duration of the protests, and then her overthrow, it was astonishing to see how brutal the dictatorship was on its people, but also the unwavering determination of those very same people. The Bangladeshi people have become the face of democratic movement and are a true testament to the indomitable human spirit.
Protests and a brutal response
The protests had been brewing under the surface for a while; sentiment toward the government had worsened since the fraudulent election in January. The protests gained far more traction after Sheikh Hasina addressed the nation and called the protesters ‘Razakars’, or traitors to the independence movement of 1971. The quota itself set that a minimum of 56% of all public sector jobs had to be given to the descendants of freedom fighters. Though the quota also included allocations for women, disabled students, LGBTQ+ students and minorities, it was primarily used to advantage those supporting the ruling party.
15 July saw the first violent protests. Clashes between anti-quota students and law enforcement, who were aiding the vehement response of the student wing of the Awami League, led to the deaths of several students on university campuses, widespread destruction of roads, and the blocking of major transport links. The following day, on Ashura, a Muslim day of mourning and public holiday, Sheikh Hasina delivered a sombre speech in a now notorious black saree; she offered shallow condolences to the victims thus far. This was not received as the party had intended. In the coming days, the protests began to grow, and with it the response became more ruthless.
Police, the Rapid Armed Battalion and Border Guard were deployed and had orders to use rubber bullets to shut down protests with as much vigour as possible. By 18 July, the death toll was already at over 100. That same day, the government shut off the internet. Bangladesh was isolated from the rest of the world. Part of the reason for the internet blockade was the role of social media in the protests. Besides the international attention that was being garnered through traditional media, social media, which was the backbone of organising the protests, was now inaccessible. Abroad, many took to social media to voice their concerns through the “savebangaldeshstudents” movement and, domestically, the entire movement was organised through Facebook.
As the protests grew in intensity, the response became more brutal. Buildings were ablaze in all directions and helicopters were dispersing bomb-like projectiles into crowds. It felt as if Bangladesh was in a state of war; this was telling of what was to come as the death toll kept rising in the ensuing weeks.
After a curfew was announced to prevent further protests, a ruling was handed down by the Supreme Court, which held that the lower court had erred in its decision to raise the quota to 56%, that the government should handle this policy as they see fit through the passage of legislation, and that the quota should stay at the existing level of 10%. The protests did not however decline in fury, and another curfew was called shortly after. At this point, the death toll was reported to be in the hundreds, but with the use of forced disappearances, and lack of transparency, many estimated that it could have been in the thousands. The student movement had given the government an ultimatum with nine demands, including calling for the resignation of several cabinet ministers and a public apology from Sheikh Hasina for the deaths. Cracks in the governments had already started to form.
Yet another curfew was announced to crack down on protesters, the government raided the homes of suspects, arrested leaders of the movement, and searched phones for anti-state activity. it was clear that if given the chance, the people would overthrow Sheikh Hasina. Her desperation was evident and her insolence unforgivable. On 4 August, senior party members, such as the Mayor of Dhaka, were filmed leaving Bangladesh on flights bound for Singapore and Dubai. This was a sign that the turmoil would end. The day after, Sheikh Hasina left the country in a helicopter bound for India and the country flooded the streets in jubilation.
How was this different?
Speaking to my family about the protests, the violence and disruption were shrugged off as a normality, a result of a cycle of tension that boils over and then gets violently suppressed. People in the older generation that lived through the dictatorship under Ershad, the disjointed Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of the early 2000s and then post-‘coup’ AL have largely remained calm, claiming that this kind of situation is to be expected. It was almost unthinkable that the protests could have led to the deposition of a leader who had completely disarmed and dismantled any sentiment of dissidence toward her over the course of an uncontested 16-year rule. Yet as each day passed, the news reports becoming more outrageous in their conclusions, that feeling of normalcy started to erode. This turned out to be the reason for her fall. The arrogance and self-idealisation of herself and party members had become unbearable for the people. The levels of corruption and exploitation that had been so prevalent had seeped into every part of life. The government truly believed that there was no issue big enough to topple them and were short-sighted and brutal in their response.
The opposition had also been completely crippled as opposition leaders were either arrested , such as Khaleda Zia of the BNP, or banned outright. The party had also overseen an economic transformation not due to their own actions but the natural growth of an economy that has been so heavily relied on for its textiles and other industries, and so had international backing.
The overthrow of the dictatorship should serve as a stark and welcome reminder of the power of the human spirit, as these protesters shed so much for the future of the country.