For 15 years, Bangladesh at the helm of Sheikh Hasina has been wrought with corruption, nepotism, and a toxic adherence to past glories.
Bangladesh’s ticking time bomb
A struggling economy. A high number of graduates produced. These factors are a recipe for disaster. Especially when the only stable paying job, is a government job.
In Bangladesh, young Bangladeshis sacrifice their youth to become university graduates. Their only hope is to secure the only stable paying job. A government job.
However, the government of Bangladesh practices a quota system for government jobs.
The quota system gives 30% to descendants of freedom fighters(involved in the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971), 10% to women, 5% to indigenous communities, 1% to the disabled, and 10% to people in relevant districts.
For 15 years, Hasina’s government would reward government jobs mostly to fervent supporters of her political party, the Awami League.
The Escalation
In 2018, students protested to scrap the quota. Youth wing parties linked to the Awami league would crack down on students. They would intimidate, bully, and ultimately cause physical harm to the students protesting.
The government eventually scrapped the quota to cool heads on both sides. However, the Bangladeshi High Court declared that scrapping the quota was illegal.
The students of Bangladesh have been protesting since.
The Explosion
Student protests have largely been peaceful. However, Bangladeshi police and pro-government activists have been caught inciting violence multiple times.
Then, Sheikh Hasina, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh addressed the nation:
“Why do they harbour so much resentment against the valiant freedom fighters? The grandchildren of freedom fighters don’t get jobs, the grandchildren of Razakars will get them? This is my question to the nation.”
Razakars is a derogatory term in Bangladesh. It’s a label for those who betrayed Bangladesh during the Liberation War of 1971.
Of course, Hasina’s statement enraged students across Bangladesh. The nation erupted.
Violence in The Streets and Death Toll
Shoot on sight. This is the order given to Bangladeshi police. The government and military panicked and resorted to deadly violence. They hoped to extinguish further protests.
Students were murdered. Children who were looking on with their parents in the balconies of flats were shot dead by stray bullets. It seemed the government was hell-bent on eradicating any hope for the future.
According to AP, 200 students were murdered. Other reports indicate the number could be higher.
But with each death, the nation grew angrier.
Sheik Hasina flees to India
The student protests did not quiet down.
Morale among policemen and military were at its lowest. None of them would have envision, they’d be killing their own young. The chief military informed Sheikh Hasina they were no longer able to protect her.
Sheikh Hasina fled to India. With her office and place of residence lacking in security, students barged in by the thousands.
The youth of Bangladesh claimed the territory as a sign of victory.
Minutes later, Sheikh Hasina declared her resignation.
The Students Have Won
The students of Bangladesh named Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel laureate, to become the interim Prime Minister and help them get Bangladesh back on track. Yunus accepted.
All eyes are on Bangladesh as the situation develops.
Closing Thoughts
Sheikh Hasina led Bangladesh like a dictatorship. She had a habit of silencing her political opponents or anyone she feared would gain popularity as a leader in Bangladesh.
Interestingly, for 15 years, the US and other “champions” of freedom and democracy were silent on the matter.
Muhammad Yunus was one of her victims. Yunus is a respected economist and academician. He created a system which would offer small loans to the needy with easy terms for repayment.
He won the Nobel Peace Prize for that.
As his popularity grew, Sheikh Hasina received rumours of Yunus trying to establish a political party. Like clockwork, Muhammad Yunus was investigated for bribery and other crimes.
He was charged but released on bail. Yunus took this opportunity to leave the country. He has focused on his work as an academician until now.
Bangladesh has huge problems of corruption, legitimising underworld criminals, and gang violence. The road to recovery will be a lengthy one.
If Yunus can uplift Bangladesh, it will undoubtedly impact the Asian region positively.
