Bangladesh Resource Guide

On July 21, 2024, Bangladeshi students took to the streets to demand that the Supreme Court of Bangladesh respect its 2018 order to scrap a near 30% reservation in all government jobs for families of those who fought in the 1971 Liberation War.

These protests turned violent on July 15, 2024 when students clashed with police. Security forces and aligned political actors have allegedly killed 300 and detained up to 10,000 protesters in over two weeks. The government also implemented a nationwide internet blackout. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her party, accused by her opposition and student activists of upholding the reservations and manipulating state institutions to repress dissent, resigned and fled Bangladesh on August 05, 2024, leaving the military in charge.

Timeline of Key Events

Use of Excessive Force

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) (Sanctioned by the US Treasury on accusations of arbitrary detentions, use of torture, enforced disappearances, hostage taking), the Border Guard Force (BGF) and Bangladesh Police used lethal and less lethal weapons against student protesters.. The violent response resulted in the death of 300-450 persons, including police officers. The Dhaka Metropolitan Court has accepted a case against Sheikh Hasina and 4 of her top police officers investigating the murder of a grocery store owner by the police during the unrest.

Perpetrating Factors

Institutionalized Impunity

Between January 2020 and March 2023, 229 journalists were indicted and 56 arrested under the Digital Security Act 2023 (DSA). The DSA has been used to punitively sequester civil rights advocates and journalists from public life. After its passage, 56 journalists were arrested in the first three months of 2023. Staff members of the newspaper Prothom Alo were sued under the law, with Sheikh Hasina calling them the “enemy” of her party and the country. Hasina’s government has made use of the Aynaghor, a prison run by the Director General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) in Dhaka, to unlawfully house and allegedly torture detainees.

Electoral Discontent

The most recent election in 2024 was boycotted by the opposition, and was also labelled by the US State Department as “not free and fair”. The government arbitrarily detained 25,000 opposition members, activists, journalists. Political detainees were often denied healthcare. Several sources indicate that frustration among the people of Bangladesh reached a tipping point over the reservations, but began with the government’s autocratic practices. During the unrest, Hasina compared protesters to ‘Razakars’, referring to genocidaires that colluded with Pakistan’s army during Bangladesh’s Liberation War. The government imposed a blanket internet shutdown for 5 full days beginning July 18, 2024 as violence unfolded.

Violence Against Minorities

The fall of Hasina’s government was followed by sporadic attacks on property, temples and houses belonging to its minority communities, which are largely composed of Hindus, and also Christian, Ahmadiyyas and Adivasi tribal communities. Right wing Hindu nationalists in India used these attacks to spread disinformation and misinformation intended to heighten communal sentiments in India. In an apparent reprisal, members of the Hindu Raksha Dal (Hindu Protection Group) vandalized a predominantly Muslim slum in Uttar Pradesh, India. Hundreds of Hindus protested ‘targeted’ violence against them in Dhaka on August 09. While many of the attacks were communal, some Hindus were also attacked because of their perceived or actual support for the AL. While visiting Bangladesh’s largest Hindu temple on August 13, Professor Yunus said “rights are equal for all” calling for people to be patient.

Truth and reconciliation

There is widespread uncertainty about the status of the nearly 10,000 detained since the start of the protests as well as the many who are reportedly missing. The interim government has decided to try perpetrators of violence in a domestic International Criminal Tribunal (ICT), while also seeking UN supervision. With Hasina ousted, the fate of actors like the RAB, the Supreme Court and her other benefactors hangs in the balance, as with the repressive laws that maintained her hold on the regime.

Political Instability

Hasina’s departure leaves the future of the AL in doubt and a power vacuum in its wake that may be filled by one of the opposition parties like the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and JeI. ADSM has released a “4 point demand” seeking Hasina’s trial, truth and reconciliation for the violence, protection of minorities’ rights and prosecution of the ousted regime. The futures of the ADSM, the AL, JeI and BNP are in question while Bangladeshis wait for a roadmap for free and fair elections.

International opinions

The EU and the US have backed the interim regime. The UK, where Hasina’s family resides, has condemned the violence, with Foreign Secretary David Lammy calling for a “UN-led ivestigation.” India’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appears concerned over the threat to the Hindu minority in its neighbor state, whilst Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee, a fierce critic of the BJP, called for her statespersons to maintain peace.

Fallout Concerns

For more Bangladeshi History, read our Reporter’s Guide to the Bangladesh Genocide

Preview - Bangladesh News Roundup 2

August 2024: Bangladesh Spotlight

August 27, 2024

On August 5, 2024, Sheikh Hasina fled Dhaka after a month of protests and ushered in a new age in Bangladeshi history. Hindus for Human Rights closely surveyed the actors, human rights violations and definitive factors of the developments through the student-led protests. We have created a Bangladesh Resource Guide, complete with a timeline, that provides rigorously fact-checked updates. The guide is intended to help beginners gain context and those familiar with the region stay abreast with accurate information. The roundup below shares some of the themes that we have identified as imperative to follow. You can also read our statement calling on Bangladesh’s interim government to ensure the protection of minorities, while forming a secular, and democratic government.

Brutal Crackdown on Protesters

“According to available public reports by media and the protest movement itself, between July 16 and August 11, more than 600 people were killed, according the report titled “Preliminary Analysis of Recent Protests and Unrest in Bangladesh.” Of these, nearly 400 deaths were reported from July 16 to August 4, while around 250 people were reportedly killed following the new wave of protests between August 5 and 6.” (Dhaka Tribune)

“Then the entire country went offline when the government imposed a communication blackout, leaving the world to guess what was happening. In the days to follow, the notorious Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and the Army were deployed across the country and a “shoot at sight” curfew was imposed.” (Amnesty International)

“Family members on Sunday alleged that many students were going missing for several days before ending up in court abruptly as members of law enforcement agencies were arresting them randomly from the streets. Amid such allegations, police have arrested at least 500 people, mostly leaders and activists of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, in the past 24 hours between Saturday and Sunday, raising the number of arrests to nearly 10,000 in a special drive across the country since July 15 after violent student protests for a week.” (New Age BD)

Violence Against Minorities and Disinformation

“Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council estimates at least 52 of the country's 64 districts have been impacted by communal violence since Aug. 5 and has sought the help of Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel Peace Prize winning economist who took charge as head of a caretaker administration on Thursday. "There is deep apprehension, anxiety and uncertainty among minorities across the country," the council said in an open letter on Friday.” (Reuters)

"Members of the Hindu community and others [on August 10] took to the streets in the capital and at least seven other districts to protest the attacks on their houses, shops and temples following the fall of the Awami League government. In the capital, they blocked the Shahbagh intersection for the second consecutive day to press for their eight-point demand, including the formation of a minority protection commission. Other demands include the formation of a separate ministry for minorities; the enactment and implementation of strict laws to prevent all forms of attacks on minorities; and allocation of 10 percent of parliamentary seats for the minorities." (Daily Star)

“Like its neighbor India, Bangladesh has a history of religious tensions between its Hindu and Muslim communities. In recent years, the Bangladeshi Hindu minority, which makes up 8% of the population, has been targeted by violent mobs several times. However, many reports about the attacks on Hindu temples and communities by Bangladeshi protesters were not true.” (DW FactCheck)

““There may be an element of minorities, particularly Hindus, being targeted due to their faith. But many Hindus had links to the Awami League, because historically it has been the party that protected minorities, so they may have been targeted for their political affiliations,” said Thomas Kean, a senior consultant on Bangladesh and Myanmar at the Crisis Group.” (Associated Press)

“Commentators in Bangladesh, while refuting this disinformation, have been forthright in acknowledging the real incidents of violence against Hindus in the country. Civil society groups there have also stepped up to counter the violence and protect Hindus. It is also worth bearing in mind that the outrage against attacks on Hindus is being viewed in Bangladesh at the same time as a steady stream of attacks on Muslims in India carries on, with little comment from most Indians or the government." (Scroll)

Dealing with the Aftermath

“Law Adviser Asif Nazrul said on Wednesday that the interim government has decided to try the killings that occurred during the recent student protests in the International Crimes Tribunal. Efforts are also underway to investigate these incidents under the supervision of the United Nations (UN), he said while briefing journalists at the Secretariat. Nazrul said those involved in the killings, including the persons in the highest positions, will face trial.” (Daily Sun)

“After more than five years, the family of Michael Chakma, one of Bangladesh’s “disappeared”, held a funeral service for him, certain they would never see him again. Last week, the 45-year-old was one of a handful of people released from detention in the aftermath of the student uprising which led to the dramatic collapse of former prime minister Sheihk Hasina’s government.” (The Guardian)

“The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement launched a weeklong programme yesterday to press their four-point demand, the first of which is the trial of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina.” (The Daily Star)

“Student leaders are discussing forming a political party to end the duopoly, said Mahfuj Alam, who chairs a committee tasked with liaising between the government and social groups such as teachers and activists.” (The Daily Star)

“Bangladesh's interim government has revoked ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina's diplomatic passport along with all members of the former Cabinet, over two weeks after she resigned and fled to India following a student-led uprising against her government.” (The Indian Express)

Additional Concerns

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s India has accused Bangladesh’s new government of failing to protect the country’s Hindu minority, fuelling tensions between the south Asian neighbours and key regional partners.” (Financial Times)

“The United States reportedly revoked the visa of Bangladesh's ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. News 18 cited sources close to the opposition in Bangladesh as saying on Tuesday that Hasina’s visa was revoked by the US. Hasina stepped down as the prime minister on Monday amid nationwide violence and protests over a job quota in government employment.” (Live Mint)