Dhaka, Aug 16: Following the dramatic ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, student demonstrators in Bangladesh are rejecting calls from the country’s two major political parties for immediate elections. Instead, they are contemplating the creation of their own political party to ensure that the reforms they fought for are implemented and sustained.
The upheaval began in June when a group of students, predominantly in their early-to-mid 20s, organized demonstrations against a law that reserved certain government jobs for specific segments of the population. The protests quickly escalated, culminating in the ousting of Hasina’s government after a severe crackdown on protesters, which resulted in over 300 deaths—the deadliest bout of violence since Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan in 1971. The movement, marked by its youthful energy and demands for change, has been described as a “Gen Z revolution,” driven by frustrations over joblessness, corruption, and shrinking civil liberties.
An interim government, led by Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus, now governs Bangladesh. The interim administration includes two student leaders in prominent roles. For decades, Bangladesh has been dominated by Hasina’s Awami League and Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), both led by septuagenarians. The student leaders, disillusioned with the existing political duopoly, are considering forming a new political party to challenge this entrenched political system.
Mahfuj Alam, a 26-year-old law student and a key organizer, indicated that the decision to form a new party will be made in about a month, following consultations with ordinary voters. Alam emphasized that the students’ goal is to avoid the pitfalls of the past 15 years of Hasina’s rule, which was marked by autocratic tendencies. Tahmid Chowdhury, another student coordinator, confirmed that the formation of a new party is highly probable and that it would focus on secularism and free speech.
Nahid Islam, a 26-year-old protest organizer who now holds a cabinet position in Yunus’s interim government, stated that their aim is to create a new Bangladesh free from authoritarianism. The interim government is focused on instituting structural reforms, such as overhauling the electoral commission, to prevent a return to autocratic rule.
The interim administration has already made significant changes, including removing key officials involved in the crackdown on students. However, Yunus, who has previously expressed disinterest in holding elected office, faces skepticism about the efficacy of his government. Critics, including constitutional experts, have highlighted that the interim government operates in a legal and political grey area, as its powers are not clearly defined by the constitution.
Student leaders are also working to address the aftermath of the violent protests. The Supreme Court, influenced by the protests, ruled in favour of opening state jobs to competitive examinations, a major demand from the demonstrators. Despite this concession, the interim government has faced criticism for not addressing the root causes of the unrest.
The protests, which initially focused on job reservations, expanded to broader issues of governance and civil rights. The crackdown on protesters, including the violent suppression of demonstrators, intensified public outrage. Student leaders, such as Umama Fatema and Nayeem Abedin, noted that the participation of private university students and even parents marked a significant shift in the movement’s support base.
In the wake of the violence, which resulted in at least 114 deaths by early August, the army’s refusal to enforce curfews and the suspension of police officers involved in the killings further indicated the widespread discontent and the pressure on the government to address the crisis.