Resilient voices: Bangladeshi students lead the charge for change
By Samantha Quinones
As students, we usually wonder what difference we can truly make in the world. At lot of the time, we are told we are too young to have correct opinions, or that we don’t understand enough of the world to make bold political statements, discouraging us from even trying. However, the student protestors in Bangladesh are proving doubters wrong by fighting for their beliefs and inspiring students around the world by single-handedly changing their country as they know it. A lot of you may be wondering, what exactly are these protests, and why are they so important to talk about? Find out below:
What are the Bangladeshi student protests about?
In early July, Bangladeshi students from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh’s top institution, led by Nahid Islam, began to protest to get rid of quotas in civil service jobs. These quotas made it so that ⅓ of government jobs were given to those who were descendants of people who participated in the 1971 liberation movement, offering them disproportionate advantages the other ⅔ would not receive. Even if the ⅔ went to college and/or were much more qualified, they had a much lower chance of receiving employment than those who were simply gifted the job. The students deemed it unfair and held continual protests to have this ruling removed to make the opportunity to hold a government position more universal. The protests were always peaceful until July 15, when the students were attacked by individuals who disagreed with the students, and the very next day police showed up with tear gas and batons. 25 year old Abu Sayed was shot dead in his attempt to defend the protestors behind him.
What did the violence spark?
Originally, the protests were only meant to overturn the injustice in the ruling, but after the government attempted to silence them through police attacks, they turned their attention to the deep conflicts within their government. Thousands of people from all different walks of life joined in, the anti-government protests growing in size, but also casualties. Over 300 people have been killed, and that’s not even the end of it. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the government shut down schools and colleges, slowed down the wifi so the students couldn’t gain traction online, used physical force with lethal and nonlethal weapons, wrongful imprisonment of the people, and even placed a curfew, but it only incited more violence as the anti and pro government parties clashed.
What is the current status of these protests?
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stepped down and fled the country after many accusations of feeding corruption and stifiling disagreement were found, including her sacking a household assistant for allegedly stealing $34 million of state funds. Additionally, her rule consisted of a government that quickly turned authoritarian and fascist. She fled on August 5, leaving Bangladesh in a state of turmoil. Luckily, 26 year old Nahid Islam was there to pick up the pieces as not only a graduate student attempting to earn his masters, but also the current minister of posts, telecommunications and IT, and information and broadcasting. He is helping lead the country’s interim government and two ministries, as the current members in Bangladesh’s interim are 17-18, forcing him to work 16 hours a day for his people. This interim government is unable to make any new policies, but they hope to create a new political settlement for a transition into democracy. Once they finish reconstructing, they plan on holding official elections.
Why is this important?
In an interview with NPR, Nahid states that “As a student can lead a movement, lead a revolution, a student can also form a government, can also lead the government.” He proves to us that students are a mighty force when banded together, and they are no less powerful just because they are young.
We hope that you’ve enjoyed reading this article, and that you leave feeling a little bit more confident in your abilities as you start the school year. Remember, anything is possible when you put in the effort to make it a reality! Thanks for reading!
If you liked this article, go check out one of our other student-written articles, available to you on our website!
Links to learn more about the protests:
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