Revenge and arrogance led to fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government

Sheikh Hasina's political downfall was ultimately a result of her vindictiveness and arrogance. Her advisors and irresponsible cabinet members failed to provide her with the right advice at the right time. Using the thug-dependent Chhatra League to suppress the new generation alienated Sheikh Hasina from politics. Instead, she became the protector of a few corrupt officials, opportunistic businessmen, and infamous sycophant party leaders involved in unethical and terrorist activities. Inevitably, she had to flee the country, leaving many party leaders and activists in severe uncertainty and insecurity. She almost destroyed the Awami League, which led the Liberation War.

The brutal shooting at student protesters on July 16, killing and crippling many, broke all records of tyrannical behavior. This desperate attempt to cling to power infuriated people from all walks of life against Sheikh Hasina, her advisors, and her cabinet members, leading to a new chapter in Bangladesh's history. No previous head of government had ever fled the country in this manner after resigning. It remains doubtful whether the Awami League can ever recover as a political party.

Since 2018, Sheikh Hasina grew distant from the experienced leaders of the Awami League. Relying solely on the administration cadre distanced her from professionals like teachers, doctors, engineers, lawyers, and journalists. The brutal suppression of the student movement for safe roads in 2018 created a negative perception of Sheikh Hasina’s leadership among the new generation. Despite their demands, the government did not meet the students’ requests and instead supported identified transport terrorists. Consequently, the roads became increasingly chaotic, with daily accidents staining the streets with blood.

Relying solely on the police and administration cadre increased severe disparities within government administration and society. During Sheikh Hasina's regime, only police and administration cadre officers received repeated promotions, continuous foreign trips, and all kinds of government benefits through supernumerary postings. Despite repeated harassment and significant crimes at the grassroots level, no punitive action was taken against these officials.

When journalist Rozina Islam was harassed in the Secretariat, Sheikh Hasina herself sided with the harassers, resulting in Rozina's imprisonment on false charges. Journalist Ariful Islam was brutally tortured by corrupt officials for reporting on corruption, yet no action was taken against the perpetrators. Similarly, the murder of journalist couple Sagar-Runi remains unresolved, and the Ninth Wage Board for journalists was never implemented, leaving professional journalists deceived.

The Digital Security Act, one of the most controversial laws in the country’s history, led to severe harassment of journalists, opposition political activists, and countless innocent people. Despite repeated warnings from conscious citizens, Sheikh Hasina did not address the misuse of this law and instead attacked critics harshly, using the police to detain them. The tragic death of writer Mushtaq Ahmed in prison remains uninvestigated, while cartoonist Kishore and photographer Shahidul Alam endured severe torture.

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia was imprisoned for a long time on a baseless charge, and was even denied medical treatment abroad, while government officials routinely went to Bangkok-Singapore for treatment. The public did not approve of such vindictive behavior from Sheikh Hasina’s government.

Nobel laureate Dr. Yunus was harassed with absurd cases for a long time, and his international reputation as a fighter against poverty was tarnished by repeated court appearances. Despite widespread criticism, Sheikh Hasina ignored it and attacked her critics instead.

In January 2024, Sheikh Hasina successfully held another national election, excluding opposition parties like the BNP through deceitful tactics. Following this, a government devoid of politicians was formed under her leadership, becoming more reckless. The abnormal rise in essential commodity prices and phantom electricity bills made life unbearable. Reports emerged of large sums of money being laundered abroad by influential police officers, tax officials, and favored party leaders and businessmen during her regime. At one point, Sheikh Hasina admitted that even her Ganobhaban peon owned four billion takas and had fled abroad. This admission revealed her blind arrogance.

In 2018, when students demanded quota reform in government jobs, the government initially agreed, but later harassed the protesters using Chhatra League cadres and lawsuits. This created a latent anger among the general students, reflected in the Daksu election victory of quota reform leader Nurul Haque Nur, despite Awami League being in power. The significant portion of the young generation’s disdain for Awami League stemmed from the brutal suppression of these movements. Unfortunately, Sheikh Hasina did not attempt to understand this disdain, and her advisors did not inform her of its significance.

Instead, Sheikh Hasina’s own people filed a writ against the government circular canceling the quota. When the court ruled the circular illegal, students and the youth took to the streets on July 1, 2024. Once again, Sheikh Hasina’s government ignored them, labeling the protesters as "collaborators," inciting immense anger among the youth. The brutal killing of children, youths, and students to suppress this anger is unprecedented in world history. The government’s claim of protecting the abducted movement coordinators by taking them to the Detective Branch office was not accepted by the public or Awami League members. The vengeful, unjust treatment of these coordinators led to the inevitable fall of Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year-long government.

The government led by Sheikh Hasina was in power for nearly 15 years. Those who were 5 to 10 years old in 2009 are today's young generation. Despite growing up during Awami League's regime, this generation did not develop a political allegiance to the party. Instead, their resentment led to a mass uprising that caused Sheikh Hasina to become the first prime minister to fall and flee the country in disgrace.

Despite significant achievements like building a digital Bangladesh, major infrastructure developments such as the metro rail, expressways, Padma Bridge, and Karnaphuli Tunnel, all these achievements were named solely after Bangabandhu and his family members. This attempt to present a fragmented history of the Awami League, excluding leaders of the Liberation War like the four national leaders killed in jail, distorts the history of Bangabandhu, the Liberation War, and independence.

The wrongdoings and crimes committed during Sheikh Hasina's tenure fall on her, her advisors, and cabinet members. The undisputed leader of the Liberation War and founder of independent Bangladesh, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, cannot be dishonored for Sheikh Hasina's misdeeds. However, we have seen attempts to vandalize Bangabandhu’s statues and offensive slogans against him after Sheikh Hasina's fall.  The historic house number 32 of Dhanmondi, which is full of memories of the Liberation War, has been burnt down.
Not only that, many important sculptures were demolished at different places. There have been reports of communal attacks  in many places. Government buildings including the police station were set on fire. Offices of five TV channels were burnt. Such anarchy cannot be accepted in any way.

 We believe the coordinators of the current anti-discrimination movement, including students, teachers, and other professionals, are highly conscious and will not allow any disrespect towards Bangabandhu in Bangladesh or forget the blood debt of the 3 million martyrs of 1971. Do not let the communal harmony of Bangladesh perish.
I hope that through this remarkable, unforgettable uprising of the young generation, a discrimination-free Bangladesh will be built, truly embodying the spirit of the Liberation War. It will be a  dreaming  Bangladesh marked by progress, development, and prosperity, devoid of killing, bloodshed, and revenge.  We pay our respects to all the martyrs who gave their lives in the July massacre and demand exemplary punishment for each murder.

Author: Journalist and IT analyst