Iron Lady Hasina, whose name is associated with nepotism and corruption in Bangladesh, was defeated in the street

In Bangladesh, protests against a change in the law on civil service recruitment in mid-July turned into anti-government demonstrations. The student protests in Bangladesh started with demands to abolish favouritism in the system where 30% of public employment is reserved for the children of those who participated in the country's war of independence.

Prime Minister Hasina, who has been ruling her country for 15 years, addressed her people on 14 July, saying, ‘If the descendants of those who signed the independence of our country do not get the quotas, should the descendants of the Razakars (Pakistani collaborators) get the quotas? That is my question’, signalling that she would not change the existing system. Hours after this statement, students on various campuses started protesting against the prime minister's remarks. While the police used violence against the demonstrations, the student wing of the ruling party also took part in the clashes, thus turning the streets of Bangladesh into a showdown ostensibly between the youth but in reality between the opposition and the government. The opposition called for a general strike, which the police and ruling party activists continued to respond to with force. On 16 July the government closed all educational institutions indefinitely. The national television building was subsequently burned down, hundreds of prisoners escaped and the country witnessed dozens of deaths.

The army was then called to duty. Since 18 July, the Hasina government has taken steps to ‘control’ the opposition-backed protesters by imposing a curfew and restricting the internet. Subsequently, the government eased some restrictions, hoping to quell the popular movement that had shaken the country. Although the law on which the quota application is based was amended by the Supreme Court largely in line with the expectations of Bangladeshi protesters, the tension in the country could not be brought to an end. The protests of university and college students had caused massive demonstrations, bloodshed and chaos across the country. At least 280 people had died in the demonstrations so far. Yesterday, Sheikh Hasina (Iron Lady of Asia), the Prime Minister of the country since 2009, had to leave the country by helicopter.

Who is Sheikh Hasina?

In 1947, when Pakistan emerged as an independent state, Bangladesh became a part of this country. However, the region now known as Bangladesh was geographically far away from Pakistan and was called East Bengal. This geographical separation led to the de facto emergence of two different countries. The struggle of the people of East Bengal, which started in 1952 and turned into a War of Independence over the years, culminated in the establishment of the People's Republic of Bangladesh on 16 December 1971.

Today, Bangladesh is the third most populous country in the South Asia region and the eighth most populous country in the world with a population of approximately 171 million, but its area (147,570 square kilometres) is actually too small to accommodate a population of this size. I am talking about a country one-fifth the size of Turkey, but with twice the population of Turkey.

In Bangladesh, the President is elected by the National Assembly for five years. In Bangladesh, which is a parliamentary democracy, the unicameral National Assembly consists of 350 deputies. The Prime Minister, who is the head of the executive, is also seen as the holder of real power in the country. The last general election in Bangladesh was held on 7 January 2024. Sheikh Hasina, who won the election, stands out in Bangladesh politics as an experienced political figure who served as prime minister between 1996-2001. Sheikh Hasina, known as a calm but strong woman, is also the daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who founded the country. As a footnote, there is a bust of the founding leader of Bangladesh on Bangabandhu Street in Çankaya, Ankara. Again, a park in Keçiören Municipality is named ‘Bangabandhu Park’.

Why Iron Lady Hasina had to leave her country?

Hasina won re-election in 2009 and took office again. She was a powerful personality who has been sitting in the prime minister's chair since then. Under Hasina, Bangladesh was able to escape poverty to some extent, which made the Iron Lady almost permanent in the prime minister's office. After nearly three weeks of anti-government protests in Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to resign. According to agencies, Hasina left the capital Dhaka by helicopter and travelled to India.

Hasina, who went through a difficult period during her term in office since 2009, was a politician who was strong enough to suppress the rebellion of the militia border forces that resulted in the death of 57 officers, who knew how to win three general elections in a row despite being harshly criticised by the international community, and who managed to survive as the number one of her country so far despite the allegations of human rights violations against her and the street demonstrations of the opposition parties. However, she had difficulty in understanding the protests of students who took to the streets with the support of opposition parties and could not prevent the events from spreading to the whole of Bangladesh. Thus, faced with the biggest challenge of her political career, Sheikh Hasina was forced not only to resign but also to flee the country.

According to some political assessments, ‘the over-politicisation of the spirit of the war for independence by Sheikh Hasina and her party, the denial of basic voting rights to citizens year after year, and the dictatorial nature of her regime have angered a large section of society.’ Nevertheless, Hasina hoped that things would calm down without using excessive force against the protesters. In a way, Hasina probably realised that without a solution on the streets, this ‘rational’ movement could be taken over by an ‘anarchic group’, which could increase instability throughout the country. Meanwhile, neighbouring India, internationally recognised as the biggest supporter of Sheikh Hasina's regime for 15 years, was closely monitoring the situation from across the border.

The burnt buildings were evidence of the rising anger of the people against the government and the unceasing turmoil in the country. Law enforcement officials resorted to harsh policing measures against the people, triggering a political upheaval of a magnitude not faced since Bangladesh's creation in 1971. The government's ‘shoot on sight’ order for curfew violators spoke volumes. A government unable to read the demands of the people could only resort to violent repression. However, violence often begets violence. As a matter of fact, when the Bangladesh government could not control the events, it became unable to govern the country. Economic activities in Bangladesh came to a standstill and anxious citizens, not knowing what awaited them, continued to roam the streets, knowingly or unknowingly fuelling instability.

Conclusion

The student protests in Bangladesh, which started peacefully, suddenly turned into an anti-government uprising with the support of opposition parties, due to the discontent simmering among young Bangladeshis as well as the wider society. Economic and political disenfranchisement mobilised the youth. The ‘fairy tale’ of economic growth they had been hearing for a long time was not enough to pacify them. Rapidly rising inflation and dwindling foreign exchange reserves put the government in a precarious position.

A government that did not hear the cries of the unemployed youth who witnessed unbridled corruption and the extravagant lifestyle of the new rich class nurtured by the government could not be expected to survive.

Resentment, allegedly fuelled by the widespread corruption of the ruling party's cronies, the impunity enjoyed by party supporters, the complete disregard for the suffering of ordinary people and the concentration of power in the hands of a single person - Hasina - has somehow turned into violence. This deep wound of the country was perhaps itched from the outside. The truth is that in Bangladesh, where at least 41 per cent of young people between the ages of 15 and 24 are out of school and unemployed, a perfect storm has finally broken out to overthrow the existing system of nepotism. Prime Minister Hasina, who even she could no longer deny that she was an autocrat, was thrown out of the country her father had founded.

What is next for Hasina and Bangladesh? We will have to wait and see.