Bangladesh is going through a bewildering and remarkable period. The nation is fracturing with uncertainty, and people are divided. Just two weeks ago, no one could have imagined that they would be killed while demanding their rights on their own land. Many asserted that this generation is apolitical, but in recent days, the youth’s willingness to risk their lives without hesitation, for defending their rights has proven this notion to be false.
In the past 15 years, the ‘Rajakar’ tag has been used as a trump card to suppress political opposition. The people of this country believe in the principles of freedom, which is why they actively participated in the Rajakar executions and the Shahbagh movement. Sheikh Hasina was once again ready to use this trump card to strengthen her power by indirectly labeling the peaceful, rational quota reform activists as ‘Rajakars.’ But why should the hardworking people of this country, who pay taxes through extreme toil and blood, accept this hateful label? Why should they accept the stubbornness of tyranny?
Reforming the quota system was crucial to maintaining positivity and meritocracy in government recruitment. In a country plagued by unlimited unemployment, the irrational quota numbers allocated for the descendants of freedom fighters primarily served the ruling party’s interests. Fake freedom fighter certificates and the resulting jobs have contaminated the entire quota system. By manipulating the quota system and placing loyalists in key positions, the ruling party has established a formidable grip on Bangladesh, firmly believing that their removal is never easy. The use of expired tear gas shells to suppress the movement and the audacious confidence of a Chhatra League leader who boasted, “I can clear the protesters within 5 minutes,” further highlights this authoritarianism.
Deploying the army to control a student movement in a democratic country, cutting off communication, and spreading government lies, alongside the indiscriminate use of bullets by the army, Chhatra League, police, RAB, and BGB, make this no less horrific than besieged Gaza. Police themselves testified that they were ordered to shoot. On July 19, students protesting at the Rampura Police Station and a video shows a police officer brutally shooting a frightened boy taking refuge on the edge of an unfinished building.
Officially, the death toll exceeds 266, while unofficial figures might surpass a thousand. After so much loss of life, the Prime Minister first expressed tearful regret over the destruction of state property. But given that her arrogant pride turned a peaceful movement violent, could state property have remained intact? Is she not responsible for the police officer who was killed and hung on an overpass by enraged citizens?
Politics is a game of cunning strategies, and this path has never been easy. Even in a noble struggle, deception can become a powerful weapon and it appears that the ruling party has employed this tactic here. Newspapers claim the Awami League members set the buses on fire, and rumors are circulating that the intelligence department suspects Awami members in the metro rail arson. But as these are not proven, let’s assume the enraged public did everything. But does the sorrow over inanimate state property outweigh the loss of 266 vibrant lives?
In response to the recent brutal massacre, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh shows only a superficial sympathy for the innocent students, akin to that of a stepmother, all in a bid to maintain her power. Imagine a stepmother who claims to love you dearly in front of the family. If you were to break a glass and sustain a deep cut on your hand, she would mourn the loss of the glass while you endured gangrene, secretly threatening you each day for breaking it.
So, how is our Bangladesh now? Under this stepmother’s (Prime Minister) secret oppression or her directives, what is still happening in the country?
1. Zunaid Polok’s (minister of ICT) Threats: Lists are being prepared domestically and abroad to suppress the movement. An anonymous source said government offices have clear instructions that even liking a social media post against government ideology is prohibited.
2. Internet Disruptions: Internet connections are still not fully restored to erase evidence of public opinion suppression and massacres, with false explanations (data center burned) given by the government. Polok has made up several theories and being ridiculed widely in the social media.
3. Night Raids and Arrests of Student Leaders: Nightly gunfire, arrests, and innocent people being taken away continue in various parts of Dhaka. Police raids in Chittagong’s Bahaddarhat, Chawkbazar, DC Road, Halishahar, and the abduction of common students persist. One heavily criticized example is Seventeen-year-old Faiaz was taken into remand, later canceled by the court.
On July 27, 2024, several students and teachers associated with the quota reform movement were detained from various areas of Dhaka.
5. Intimidation of Journalists: Daily Bangladesh, Digital Division reporter Adib, who interviewed quota reform leader Nahid Islam, did not see his interview published. RAB raided the Daily Bangladesh office, Adib’s home, and confiscated the hard drives. Adib was told to stay hidden for a few days and was ultimately dismissed from his job without reason.
6. The Hope Remains: On July 28, a faction of the coordinators of the ongoing anti-discrimination student movement was taken into DB custody and forced to read a scripted statement at gunpoint, which has been rejected by students from all levels of both private and public universities across the country, including Dhaka University. In their statement, they expressed that this is part of a continuous farce comedy against the student community, and they do not believe in such scripted statements. Therefore, the general students are steadfast and unwavering in their support for the 9-point demands announced on behalf of the entire student community of the country, and they are firmly committed to continuing their movement until these demands are fulfilled. NSU, IUB, AIUB, UITS, UIU, DIU, SUB, and GUB have called for nationwide protest rallies and demonstrations on July 29.
Our judiciary, which could have been a temple of justice, is now a den of blind partisan loyalty. Seeking justice for any crime today means being fed a meal and sent away from DB offices. Yet, those who dream of a new Bangladesh, the patriotic youths, still determined to seek justice for their brothers’ deaths. We don’t know how much more blood this July’s monsoon will see to suppress them? If the Awami regime does not fall, will life be like a wingless, fearful, caged birds in a free country? This doubt lingers as long as Bangladesh is in the hands of this tyrant, Sheikh Hasina.
