In recent weeks, South Asian country Bangladesh has been rocked by protests and crackdowns, resulting in nearly 300 deaths since late June, marking the deadliest bloodshed in the country since its independence war in 1971. The escalating protests have forced the country’s longest-serving female Prime Minister to step down and flee, with the military assisting in forming an interim government. There is speculation that the country’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate could lead the interim government. Overnight, Bangladesh seems to have undergone a dramatic change, leaving people wondering what exactly transpired behind the scenes.
According to Bloomberg, tensions have been high in Bangladesh since late June when student leaders took to the streets demanding an end to the government job quota system. Although the Supreme Court ruled to abolish most quotas on July 21, the unrest continued as protesters shifted their focus to the larger issue of youth unemployment.
Starting in late June, students began marching to demand an end to the government job quota system that reserved up to 56% of positions. With opposition parties supporting the student demonstrations, the number of protesters continued to grow, and the scope of discontent expanded. Critics blamed 76-year-old Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for poor economic management and steering the country towards authoritarianism.
In a context of opposition boycott of the vote, Hasina’s party continued to hold power in a controversial manner in January of this year. Hasina began her fourth consecutive term as Prime Minister, with most opposition leaders being jailed post-election.
Hasina labeled protesters as “anarchists and terrorists” seeking to disrupt national stability.
While Hasina’s government has propelled Bangladesh to become one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, the wealth gap has widened, leaving many struggling with cost-of-living crises, making many Bangladeshis feel excluded from economic prosperity.
The country has an official policy encouraging citizens to seek employment abroad, and its economy heavily relies on remittances from citizens working overseas.
Why are protesters demanding an end to the government job quota system? The Bangladesh government reserves up to 30% of public service positions for the families and descendants of war heroes who fought for independence from Pakistan in 1971, coupled with other reserved positions for specific groups, resulting in a high quota of 56% through the job quota system.
Competition for government jobs in Bangladesh is intense, as they are considered more stable and lucrative than private sector jobs. Over 400,000 graduates compete for approximately 3,000 government positions each year, leading to high youth unemployment. Reportedly, Bangladesh’s graduate unemployment rate is as high as 66%.
Protest leaders argue that these job quotas exclude new job seekers and are used to reward Hasina’s supporters, as her party historically led the independence movement against Pakistan.
After protests turned violent, the Bangladeshi Supreme Court on July 21 decided to abolish 93% of job quotas – 5% remaining reserved for families and descendants of independence war heroes, with the remaining 2% for specific groups such as vulnerable and disabled individuals.
The Associated Press reported that what initially began as peaceful protests by Bangladeshi students demanding an end to the government job quota system escalated into an unprecedented challenge to Hasina’s 15-year rule in a deadly crackdown, highlighting a series of political and economic crises in Bangladesh, from bureaucratic corruption to high unemployment, declining exports, and reduced foreign exchange reserves.
On July 15, protesters and pro-government individuals clashed in the streets of the capital, Dhaka, using sticks and bricks against each other. The following day, the Hasina government reported the first deaths in the clashes, totaling six fatalities.
The unrest prompted the Hasina government to order the closure of schools and universities nation-wide in Bangladesh, as well as an internet shutdown. Authorities even imposed a nationwide curfew and authorized the military to use firearms when necessary.
However, the crackdown by authorities only further infuriated the protesting masses. On August 5 (Monday), thousands of protesters surged towards Hasina’s residence, demanding her resignation. Protesters set fire to a hotel owned by a leader of Hasina’s party, resulting in over a dozen deaths. The violent incidents that day led to at least 41 fatalities and around 200 injuries.
In this emergency, Prime Minister Hasina fled Dhaka with her sister aboard a military helicopter, seeking refuge in India.
Bangladesh’s military leaders, led by Army Chief of Staff Waker-uz-Zaman, have stated they are temporarily in control of the situation and have pledged to investigate the suppression operations. Since mid-July, the crackdown on public protests has led to nearly 300 deaths and the arrest of at least 11,000 people. This is the deadliest bloodshed event in the country since its independence war in 1971, directly sparking public anger towards the government.
The military holds significant political influence in Bangladesh. Zaman stated on August 4 that the Bangladeshi army will “always stand with the people.”
Following Hasina’s escape, hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshis took to the streets, celebrating her ouster. However, some of the jubilant activities quickly turned violent as protesters ransacked Hasina’s official residence, her ancestral museum, and set fire to the main offices of Hasina’s party and two major pro-government TV stations.
The military is attempting to contain the escalating unrest. The nominal President of Bangladesh, Mohammad Shahabuddin, announced on Monday evening after a meeting with General Zaman and opposition political figures that the parliament will be dissolved, and an interim government will be formed as soon as possible to hold new elections.
One of the key organizers of the protests in Bangladesh, Nahid Islam, stated that they support Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus to lead the interim government.
Islam posted on social media that Yunus has agreed to assume the position considering the current state of the nation.
The 84-year-old Yunus is the founder of Grameen Bank in Bangladesh. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for providing collateral-free microloans to help millions lift themselves out of poverty.
Yunus was previously accused of corruption by the Hasina government, but his supporters believe it was political reprisal by Hasina against a potential rival.
Having been in power for over 20 years, Hasina became the longest-serving Prime Minister in Bangladesh’s history and the longest-serving female head of government worldwide.
Hasina’s father, Sheikh Mujib Rahman, was Bangladesh’s first post-independence head of government in 1971 but was assassinated in a military coup on August 15, 1975. Rahman, his wife, three other children, and household staff, totaling 18 individuals were all killed. At the time, the 28-year-old Hasina and her sister were away in Germany, escaping the massacre.
Following her father’s death, Hasina spent years in exile in India before returning to Bangladesh in the 1980s to take over his political party. However, she faced house arrest by Bangladesh’s military rulers until 1996 when she won elections and became Prime Minister for the first time.
Hasina suffered an electoral defeat in 2001, becoming the opposition leader until 2008 when she won elections and regained the PM position. Since then, Hasina has been re-elected three more times until August 5 of this year.
Throughout Hasina’s administration, significant focus was placed on infrastructure development in Bangladesh, including highways, railways, ports, and a robust electricity network covering remote villages. Bangladesh’s garment industry also became one of the world’s most competitive sectors.
Internationally, Hasina built connections with major powers like India and China.
Over the years, Hasina’s critics have accused her of using harsh measures to suppress dissent, curtail press freedom, and restrict civil society. Her political opponents claim she has become increasingly autocratic.
Analysts suggest that when the protests began this summer, Hasina’s government resorted to similar harsh suppression tactics, further exacerbating tensions.
Naomi Hossain, a research professor at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS University) specializing in Bangladesh, stated to the AP, “As we have seen in the large-scale killing in recent weeks, this regime has achieved a lot of development but has become increasingly autocratic.”
Over the past half-century since its independence in 1971, Bangladesh has faced over 20 coups or attempted coups.
Hossain, an expert on Bangladesh affairs, expressed hope that the military, which has previously taken control of the government in Bangladesh, will ensure peace amid concerns of violent reprisals.
She mentioned, “If the military fails to calm the people and resolve the issues, things could get ugly. It may take some time for us to get out of this crisis.”
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, Matthew Miller, welcomed the news of the imminent establishment of an interim government in Bangladesh and urged all parties in Bangladesh to “remain calm and restrained in the coming days.”
Ali Riaz, a Bangladesh political expert teaching at Illinois State University in the U.S., remarked to the AP that Bangladesh is facing significant political challenges currently. Political figures and the military must strive to restore calm, meet the demands of all camps, and curb any attempts at retribution.
Given Bangladesh’s history of military intervention in governance, Riaz believes observers need to closely monitor the situation to ensure the military remains in a mediating position. He stated, “The challenges ahead in the process are formidable.”
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs strongly advised against traveling to Bangladesh until further notice on August 4, Sunday.
Bangladesh’s economy may be even more vulnerable in light of recent weeks’ violent conflicts, curfews, internet shutdowns, and disruptions. Bloomberg reported that the country has maintained a high inflation rate of 9% since March last year. Seeking assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to rebuild dwindling foreign exchange reserves, Bangladesh is currently negotiating a loan of around $5 billion with China. The recent violence and disruptions in the past weeks also likely pose a significant blow to Bangladesh’s fragile $455 billion economy.