College students shout slogans throughout a protest demanding the trial of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024.
Rajib Dhar/AP
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Rajib Dhar/AP
College students shout slogans throughout a protest demanding the trial of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024.
Rajib Dhar/AP
Earlier this month, pupil protestors crammed the streets of Dhaka, Bangladesh, in opposition to a controversial quota system for presidency jobs.
Authorities then cracked down on demonstrators, blocking web entry, imposing a curfew and issuing law enforcement officials a shoot-on-sight order. In simply over a month, greater than 600 folks have been killed.
And because the protests escalated, the demonstrations began to develop into about rather more than simply the quota system, says Shahidul Alam, a photojournalist, author and activist based mostly in Dhaka.
The scholars then started calling for the resignation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
“The quota really was the tip of the iceberg. It could have been dealt with, but once it wasn’t, then the whole tinderbox exploded,” he says.
Unrest continued, and on August 4th, almost 100 folks have been killed in a police crackdown, inflicting outrage. Only a day later, Hasina was compelled to resign. Quickly after, protestors overran her residence, and he or she fled the nation.
The scholars who ousted Hasina at the moment are serving to to steer Bangladesh.
“We youth are not only the generation of Facebook, YouTube and Instagram,” says 19-year-old protestor Mumtahana Munir Mitti.
“We also love our country. And we also love to participate in [the] rebuilding of our country”
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Rebuilding the federal government
Earlier this month, Nahid Islam was a graduate pupil finding out sociology on the College of Dhaka.
Now, he’s main two ministries inside Bangladesh’s interim authorities. At 26 years outdated, he serves because the Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and IT, and Minister of Data and Broadcasting.
When Hasina was in energy, Islam was arrested. He says he was tortured by the federal government. Now, he feels free.
“Sheikh Hasina’s government was an authoritarian and fascist government,” he says.
“And now a free moment has [been] created in Bangladesh, and I can breathe in the free air of Bangladesh.”
Rebuilding the federal government is difficult work, he says. He says he has been repeatedly working 16-hour days.
“Because in the interim government, the members are only 17 or 18, and there are many ministries. And there are also many advisers who also have to take two or three ministries.”
And though these working the brand new authorities are younger and lack political expertise, he’s assured the interim authorities represents the folks of Bangladesh.
“We, the students, lead the movement and the revolution. The political forces, existing forces of Bangladesh, failed. As a student can lead a movement, lead a revolution, a student can also form a government, can also lead the government.”
The way forward for Bangladesh
Bangladesh’s new interim chief is Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. However as a result of the present leaders aren’t elected officers, the federal government just isn’t meant to enact new insurance policies.
Nonetheless, Nahid Islam hopes to enact change earlier than the nation holds elections.
“We want a new political settlement, which will pave the way for a democratic transition, party democracy and rule of law.”
Constitutional reform is on the high of his priorities, Islam says.
“Our constitution is one man-centric, and the prime minister has all of the power…so we have to reform the constitution. We have to reform the election commissions and we have to eradicate corruption. We have to reconstruct the country system and government system first, then we can go for an election.”
This episode was produced by Jonaki Mehta and Brianna Scott. It was edited by Justine Kenin. NPR worldwide correspondent Diaa Haddid contributed reporting. Our govt producer is Sami Yenigun.
