After being in power for 15 years continuously and 20 years in total power, finally, Sheikh Hasina Wajid had to flee the country. She had imposed a curfew across the country for several days, the internet was shut down, and the protesting students were being batoned and shot at. According to an estimate, around 1,000 students have been killed so far. Just last Sunday, August 4, 2024, nearly 60 student protesters were shot dead in Bangladesh. The protest started against the quota system in government jobs.
Bangladesh’s quota system reserves more than half of well-paid civil service posts for specific groups, including children of freedom fighters in the country’s 1971 war of Independence from Pakistan, totalling hundreds of thousands of government jobs. 30% quota for freedom fighter’s children and grandchildren, 10% quota for backward districts, 10% quota for women, 5% quota for minorities, 1% quota for physically challenged, and the remaining 44% based on merit. The quota system was first introduced in Bangladesh in 1972 by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, father of Sheikh Hasina. after the country became independent in December 1971.
Bangladesh’s Civil Service Quota System Explained
30% quota for freedom fighter’s children and grandchildren was abolished once in the past but restored by the court. Now the students were angry that the entire nation had participated in the Freedom War of 1971, And then those who participated in the freedom movement have now passed the working age. Therefore, giving such a large quota to their families is actually a way of rewarding their supporters, and gaining power through unfair means. That is, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina cleverly wanted to plant her favourites in all institutions to prolong her civil dictatorship. After all, from 2009 until now, she had been in power with the same tactics. Rather, in her final fourth term, for which elections were held in January 2024, She won only because the main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) boycotted the polls because BNP did not trust the Election Commission appointed by the government, that it would be able to conduct free and fair elections.
The recent student movement protests started two months ago. In the last four weeks, it intensified and in the last few days, it was to its extreme point that, if Sheikh Hasina Wajid had not fled, She might have faced her father’s fate. God forbid, She would have also been killed. Her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, affectionately known in Bangladesh as the “Bangabandhu” (elder brother). That is why, Bangladesh Army Chief General Waqar-Ul-Zaman told her on August 5, that it would be better for her to resign and leave the country. But she was not yet ready to leave the country and resign. She called herself the Iron Lady and asserted it would be “over my dead body”. But it happened that probably it was the Army that removed the barricades and obstacles from the road to the Prime Minister’s House. When these barriers were removed, about one lakh protesting students reached the gates of the Prime Minister’s House. Since they were in the tens of thousands around one lakh and were very difficult to contain. Then the army chief again warned the Prime Minister. He asked her to resign within 45 minutes and leave the country. And the army could not stop the protesters beyond that deadline. Sheikh Hasina along with her close associates, flew to India on the Mi 17 helicopter parked at the lawn of the Prime Minister’s House.
After the escape of Sheikh Hasina, Army Chief General Waqar-Ul-Zaman announced a provisional government in the country. General Waqar-Ul-Zaman addressed the nation on television around 5 o’clock and asked the people to trust the army. “ I take full responsibility that people’s lives and properties will be safe”.“ I assure you that you will not be disappointed at all”. He asked the students to go home and vacate the roads. As per their demand, “each killing and each atrocity will be investigated”. While he was announcing this, the angry students entered Sheikh Hasina’s vacant house. They were holding batons in their hands and many of them were still scaling up walls, and many were having meals sitting inside the Prime Minister’s House. They were enjoying leg pieces and chickens without any checks. They had also mounted the vehicles and zealously smashed them. They were also praying and prostrating in thanks in the Prime Minister’s House. Some also shook hands with the army personnel deputed to security in the PM House. The military men were stopping them but in a mild way. On the other hand, away from this site at Chittagong -Sylhet Road, many were busy pulling down the statue of Bangabandhu, the founder of the country, that is Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The 15- foot-high statue was erected under the supervision of the army only three years ago pulled down. Apart from the Chittagong, people all over the Bangladesh were destroying memorials of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. People were so angry that they broke the arms of the statue in many places, hit the head with axes, put garland of shoes around its neck and million of people stood around and watched this happening. This event will be a unique tragedy in the history of South Asia in which a nation behaved so insultingly to the statue of its common leader. While it has been 49 years since his assassination.
The quote system indeed started during the era of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. But later this system was abolished. However, Sheikh Hasina Wajid restarted this system. That is, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman apparently did not have to do anything with the current quota system crisis. But statues, photos, and monuments of the founding father of Bangladesh are kicked, smeared black, and walls propping up his pictures pulled down with hammers. It seems Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s legacy in Bangladesh is finally over. And in comparison, those who want to run Bangladesh with right-wing ideologies, their legacy has survived. Former Prime Minster Khaleda Zia and Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh will now be political power of this country in future.
Will 76 years old Sheikh Hasina Wajid return to revive the legacy of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman? A big doubt hangs
She also does not have a popular successor. Her only son Sajib Wajid is settled in America, where he is married. He is facing corruption charges and many controversies in Bangladesh. Sheikh Hasina made him the IT minister but instead of being popular, he has been a constant target of criticism. As the main topic about him, has been his corruption and settlement in the American state of Virginia. Now, in the student protest, he was also accused of giving orders to the security forces to torture the protestors. To carry on her legacy she also has a daughter Saima Wajid, but she does not have any impact on Bangladesh politics. She works with the World Health Organisation (WHO). So if Sheikh Hasina does not come back soon. It would be not wrong to predict that “the End of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s legacy” in Bangladesh.
According to the latest reports, Sheikh Hasina Wajid came to Agartala, And from here flew to Hindon Air Base, Ghaziabad. It seems that She will spend her exile in India or London. Meanwhile, Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus assumed leadership of Bangladesh’s caretaker government on Thursday, aiming to guide the country towards recovery after weeks of intense violence.
It is important to recall the history of Bangladesh in order to understand the present crisis in a better way, soon after the establishment of Bangladesh, the Bengalis began to oppose Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, because in the background of this separation, a wide ideological gap existed between the Bengalis and their leadership. The Independence of Bangladesh did not pass even a year, a rally was organised in Dhaka’s Paltan Maidan. It happened on 17th September 1972. Paltan Maidan is the same historical maidan where Pakistani General Niazi surrendered to Indian General Jagjit Singh Arora. Around one lakh Bengalis gathered on this ground and raised slogans against Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. A former Mukti Bahini warrior Abdul Rab, who fought the Pakistani army in 1971, gave a fiery speech against Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his government. He said Sheikh Mujibur Rahman used to say that no one would die of hunger after Independence. When the fact is, people are dying of hunger. Once again, famine is cropping up, inflation, unemployment, police torture, arrests, government corruption among many issues were raised in his fiery speech. In his harshest sentence, he told Sheikh Mujibur Rahman that the people of the ruling party Awami League have come out to be more corrupt and worse than the rulers of Pakistan. He said this in the context of the mindset they had achieved Independence through. He warned Sheikh Mujibur Rahman that the army would not open fire on its own people but if you (Sheikh Mujibur Rahman) forced them to do so, then the army would take action against you and all the ruling clique, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was giving hints about a possible military actions against those who were protesting against him. Behind this was the fact that the ruler Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was trying to suppress public sentiments by force. And Sheikh Hasina Wajid has been reigning the country in the same pattern since 2009. Then this was not the only protest. Protests and clashes of political opponents had started in Bangladesh the very next year of Independence. Anthony Mascarenhas writes in his book, “Bangladesh – A legacy of Blood” that within three years, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had become the most hated figure in Bangladesh. The author of the book, who had good friendly relations with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s family writes that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was constantly trying to keep all the powers in his hands like a dictator. Those who were opposed to him were accused of having ties with the Pakistani army in the past. They are agents of the Pakistani army.
In March 1973, the first general elections were held in Bangladesh. Meanwhile, in the three major cities of the country, Dhaka, Chittagong and Khulna students took out procession against Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. But the “Bangabandhu” sent their gangs of his staunch supporters against them who crushed the protest with all their might. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s Awami League won in this election. He established his government by winning 293 seats out of 300. That means won 98% of the seats. But Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was not satisfied even with this success. He wanted to prolong his rule without elections. Therefore, in March 1975, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman implemented a one-party system in the country. This meant that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman would rule like a dictator for the rest of his life. No one can challenge their decisions. Even after his death, his party will remain in power. By and large, as it is in North Korea and China at present. He also wanted to create a somewhat similar system in Bangladesh. From here the intervention of Bengali army begins. As many of the top brass in the military did not like his steps. They hatched conspiracies and revolted after a few months. On the morning of 15th August 1975, 120 soldiers of Bengali army in five trucks reached Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s residence in Dhaka. The policemen standing outside the house surrendered as soon as they saw the soldiers. But inside the house, the armed guards of Bangabandhu opened fire on the soldiers. One soldier was killed and another was seriously injured. On this, the soldiers fired back and killed the guards. After that, they searched the house. Meanwhile, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s two sons, Kamal and Jamal opened fire on the soldiers with Sten-Guns. Another two soldiers were injured by their fires. But these two could not resist the soldiers for long and were killed one by one. Meanwhile, a Bengali Major, Moinuddin tracked down Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. “Bangabandhu” was wearing a lungi and holding a pipe in one hand.
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman asked Major what do you want? Are you here to kill me? Forget it. Pakistani army could not do this, So who are you to think so? After listening to Sheikh Mujib’s confidence and talk. Major Moinuddin was scared but in the meantime, another officer, Major Noor stepped forward and opened fire. “Bangabandhu” was hit by bullets on the right side of his body and collapsed. His three sons, two daughters-in-law and one brother were killed in the massacres that day. His two daughters Sheikh Hasina Wajid and Sheikh Rehana were in Europe at that time. Therefore, they remained safe. After his death, attempts were made for a strong civilian government under the military but they failed. In 1977, General Zia-ur-Rahman became the country’s President. But he too, was killed four years later in 1981 during another military coup. That means, other strong leaders were also killed. After his death, his widow Khaleda Zia who also became the Prime Minister carried his legacy. She became the head of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. On the other hand, Sheikh Hasina Wajid took over the Awami League leadership of her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. For the last 30 years, the politics of Bangladesh has revolved around these two women. Both are carrying on the legacy of their father and husband. Khaleda Zia has also been the Prime Minister of Bangladesh twice. The first time was from 1991 to 1996 and the second time was from 2001 to 2006.
Even after the tragic assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the hatred of a large section of the Bengali people for him did not end. Ten years later, his daughter Sheikh Hasina Wajid told a journalist that some of her relatives in her native village were not ready to build a monument on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s grave. That is , they have difficulty making a memorial to the person who was the country’s founder. This brief incident can give understanding that a political and ideological divide existed in Bangladesh from day one. There is a large section of Bangladesh that has right-wing thinking who loves Independence from Pakistan but it hates India. And also dislikes Indian interference in Bangladeshi affairs. This section also includes the people who have sentiments for enforcing the Islamic system in the country. It has Khaleda Zia of Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamat-e-Islami Bangladesh and the Islamic Front is also a part of it. Although, they have differences, right-wing thought dominates this class. The second section of Bengali wants to advance the country through friendship with India and adopting its secular ideals. Sheikh Hasina Wajid’s Awami League is at the top in it. These two classes are constantly in conflict with each other. As one government weakens and public sentiments rises against it. Another section stands up with the public sentiments to overthrow its political enemy. This has happened even now. That is, it was a legitimate and valid demand of the students in which no political and religious party had any hand. Neither was there any prominent leader in the student protest. Students were leading this protest in many areas and universities. As such not a single leader or party, because it was a public demand and not a political one to seek the end of the quota system. However, this demand was against the ruling party, So, the opposition group, i.e the right wingers , fully supported the students in this demand as is the case in every political conflict. Then Sheikh Hasina Wajid was in power for the last 15 years, acting like a dictator and being unpopular did not help her, rather all these factors went against her and the protest continued to succeed. At present a temporary solution to the crisis in Bangladesh has emerged that Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus on Thursday took oath as the chief adviser of country’s interim government. But we should also learn a lesson from all this, That is if a country does not resolve its political conflicts and internal fault lines, in a political way, then a crisis arises that can engulf the entire country.
