Sheikh Hasina Gone: Why is India Worried? (Part 1)

Sheikh Hasina Gone: Why is India Worried? (Part 1)

Sheikh Hasina's Flight from Bangladesh

The moment when Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was running away from Bangladesh. Her team told her at 1.30 pm yesterday that her security is in danger and she will have to leave their luxurious bungalow immediately. She wanted to record a speech and pack her bags. But there was no time. She and her sister boarded an Air Force helicopter and left Bangladesh and came to India, where they met India's National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval. And the video clips we saw after that were a carbon copy of what happened a few years ago in Sri Lanka. Protesters entered the Prime Minister's bungalow, they occupied the Parliament, and they stole many things from there. Whether it was crockery or fish. Sheikh Mujib ur Rahman, who gave freedom to Bangladesh, and who was Sheikh Hasina's father . . . his statue also vandalized. So what did Sheikh Hasina do in the Prime Minister's office that made her flee her country? I'll tell you in this blog. On 1st July 2024, many students started protesting in Bangladesh by blocking roads and railway lines. They were protesting against the court order of Bangladesh High Court which was passed on 5th June 2024. This order reintroduced a controversial quota system in Bangladesh. What was this quota system?

The Historical Context: From East Pakistan to Bangladesh

You'll only understand that when you understand Bangladesh's freedom movement. After the partition of 1947, Bangladesh was called East Pakistan. And it was a part of Pakistan. Because Pakistan was divided on religious lines and East Pakistan was a Muslim majority, so it was a part of Pakistan. They believed that since Pakistan was a Muslim majority, whether East or West, everyone would live together. But that didn't happen. Discrimination against East Pakistanis started. Even though East Pakistan had a lot of people, a lot of money was being spent on West Pakistan. East Pakistan spoke Bengali. But Urdu, was made the official languages of both East Pakistan and West Pakistan So this feeling of discrimination was growing.

The Seeds of Discontent: 1970 and the Rise of Sheikh Mujib ur Rahman

Then in 1970, two things happened. Cyclone Bhola destroyed East Pakistan. 3 to 5 lakh people were killed. But West Pakistan helped very little. A month later, the first general elections took place in Pakistan. In the National Assembly, West Pakistan had 138 seats and East Pakistan had 162 seats. Mainly, there were two political parties in this election --in West Pakistan, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party and in East Pakistan, Sheikh Mujib ur Rahman's Awami League. Sheikh Mujib ur Rahman was a big leader in East Pakistan. He told people how West Pakistan was suppressing them, suppressing their language and not giving them money. This was the situation in the 1970 general elections. When the results came, the leaders of West Pakistan were shocked. Awami League won 160 seats out of 162 seats in East Pakistan. While PPP won 81 seats out of 138 seats in West Pakistan. This meant that the Awami League would form a government in the National Assembly. This meant that for the first time, political power would be in East Pakistan. But the leaders of West Pakistan refused to do this. Yahya Khan and Pakistan's military refused to recognize the victory of the Awami League. Because of this, Sheikh Mujib ur Rahman started a civil disobedience movement in East Pakistan. On 7th March 1971, in the racecourse grounds of Dhaka, Sheikh Mujib ur Rahman gave an iconic speech. He said that the Bengalis of Pakistan should stay united and asked for a free Bangladesh.

The Liberation War and the Birth of Bangladesh

On 25th March 1971, West Pakistan's forces invaded East Pakistan to suppress the protests. West Pakistan's forces launched Operation Searchlight where many civilians were killed. After this, a resistance force was launched in Bangladesh. This force was called Mukti Bahini. This group consisted of many former army leaders and civilians who were supported by the Indian government. Mukti Bahini and the Indian army defeated the forces of West Pakistan and Bangladesh became free in 1971. Awami League's Sheikh Mujib ur Rahman, who was the face of the freedom movement, became the first Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

The Evolution of the Quota System in Bangladesh

Now, let's talk about the quota. When Bangladesh got freedom, Sheikh Mujib ur Rahman made a promise that those who gave freedom to Bangladesh and those women who were subjected to torture by the West Pakistan army would be given a special quota in the civil service. In the initial quota system, 30% of jobs were reserved for freedom fighters, 10% for those women who were subjected to torture during independence, and 40% for those who were from the backward districts. Bangladesh gained independence in 1971. And 20-25 years later, this quota system was diluted because many freedom fighters had died. This is why the quota system was changed in 1997. Now, children of freedom fighters will also be given a quota. Another change was brought in 2010. Now, the grandchildren of freedom fighters will also be given a quota. This meant that 56% of jobs were reserved for different people. 30% for children and grandchildren of freedom fighters, 10% for women, 10% for backward districts, 5% for ethnic minorities, and 1% for people with physical disabilities. This meant that only 44% of government jobs were merit-based. This is why student protests started all over the country in 2018 because they wanted to bring a change in the quota system.

Student Anger and the Initial Government Response (2018)

The students were mainly angry about the 30% of jobs being reserved for the children and grandchildren of freedom fighters. If freedom fighters earned independence, then why are grandchildren and grandchildren being given a quota? This matter went to the High Court of Bangladesh. On 8th March 2018, when the petition about the quota system reached the High Court of Bangladesh, the High Court rejected the petition. They didn't say if the quota system is right or wrong. They said that whoever submitted this petition has nothing to do with the quota system. So why did they submit this petition? But the response of the government after this caused a ruckus. Sheikh Hasina's government said that there is no problem in the quota system. This will continue.

Sheikh Hasina's Stance and the Significance of the Quota System

Sheikh Hasina is the same woman who saw her entire family die at the age of 28 when they were killed in the 1975 military coup. She survived because she was in Germany at that time. After this incident, she had a huge suspicion about the Bangladeshi army. This suspicion will be relevant in 2024, after 40 years. Stay tuned. In this blog, I won't talk about the political history of Bangladesh. I won't talk about how Sheikh Hasina became the Prime Minister. Because then the blog will be too long. I want to focus on the quota system. In Bangladesh, many people said that the quota system was an emotional issue for Sheikh Hasina because her father introduced these quotas. In her political career, Sheikh Hasina was influenced by her father's legacy and principles. And in the legacy of Sheikh Mujib ur Rahman, this quota system played an important role. That's why Sheikh Hasina didn't want to remove this quota system. That's why, in 2018, she announced that the quota system will continue following the High Court's order. But the students were not ready to accept this. Because the anger was not only about the quota system.

Unemployment and Growing Discontent Among the Youth

There was a problem of unemployment among the young men as well. The garment industry was doing well in Bangladesh for many years. But the jobs produced by this industry were low-paying. It was not easy to get a job in other areas of the private sector. A 2017 World Bank report also showed that job creation in Bangladesh has slowed. In such a situation, government jobs were very attractive for students. They said that there are no jobs in the private sector, then why are you giving so many reservations in the public sector? For example, student protesters asked why 30% of the students are being given reservations in the civil service position who have only 0. 13% of the population. That's why students started boycotting their classes. And they have blocked roads and highways. Many students have hacked government websites to demand a reform of the quota system. Opposition parties were saying that Sheikh Hasina wants to keep the quota system so that the people who support her enter the bureaucracy. But in 2018, the protests had increased to such an extent that the government had to bring a change. Under pressure, the government of Bangladesh announced in 2018 that the quota system would be cancelled. So the protesters got what they wanted. The story ended and Bangladesh became peaceful again.

The Quota System Reinstated and Renewed Protests (2024)

No, this changed within 6 years. Many relatives of freedom fighters in Bangladesh petitioned the High Court that the government's decision to remove the quota system was wrong. And on 5th June 2024, the High Court of Bangladesh announced its decision. They said that freedom fighters and their families are one of the most disadvantaged groups in the country. And the way to remove the quota system was unconstitutional, illegal and ineffective. Because of this, they are reintroducing the quota system. After the announcement of this decision, student protests started. And many student protesters directly targeted Sheikh Hasina. Now you must be thinking, if the court reintroduced the quota system, then why were people targeting Sheikh Hasina? There were two reasons for this. The first reason was that Sheikh Hasina had been suppressing the opposition for a long time. In fact, Sheikh Hasina was accused this year of not holding free and fair elections. Out of 300 seats, she won 222 seats. But many international bodies said that the elections were not fair. Bangladesh's main opposition party, BNP, Bangladesh Nationalist Party, had even boycotted these elections. It was as if Sheikh Hasina was using a one-party rule in Bangladesh. And her second mistake was that she used excessive force against student protesters.

Escalation of Protests and Sheikh Hasina's Response

After 1st July 2024, protests resumed. Students called these protests the Bangla Blockade. And not only in Dhaka, but in the northern part of Bangladesh, the services of traffic and trains were stopped. But no one thought that Sheikh Hasina would leave the country in a month. The situation was tense, but calm. In fact, on 8th July, Sheikh Hasina went on a 4-day visit to China where she signed many agreements with Xi Jinping. But suddenly, she announced that she would return home soon from China. She made an excuse for her daughter's health. But people knew why she was coming to Bangladesh so soon.

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