Image published in Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal

Bangladesh: student protests continue

Protestors in Bangladesh are continuing to organise despite the government, led by Sheikh Hasina, backing down on the reinstatement of job quotas that reserved places for relatives of war veterans. Protests against the original decision to reintroduce the quotas had been met by government repression that resulted in 163 people killed, hundreds arrested, and thousands injured.  This statement from the Indian Marxist journal Radical Socialist, translated by Ekabali Ghosh provides more background.

Statement by Radical Socialist

The Sheikh Hasina led government in Bangladesh likes to promote itself as anti-communalist and democratic. But in reality, this is an extremely authoritarian government. Two elections, 2018 and 2023, have been won by them through extreme rigging, the level of which is unachievable even by the BJP in all but a couple of places like Indore. The raging student movement against quota culture in Bangladesh and the repression that the thugs and lumpen of Awami League is unleashing on it, is rare in India except in Kashmir.

Right now, Bangladesh has been turned into a prison and a graveyard. Students have observed a nationwide strike across Bangladesh on Thursday (18th July 2024) which has been called “Bangla blockade”.

What is the reason behind this movement? Is this primarily a movement of traitors, razakars? Is the protest just against quotas? The movement was sparked off by the recent judgement by the country’s high court that ruled that the quota system which was halted in 2018. Government education and jobs in Bangladesh are 56% under quota, out of which 30% consists of the freedom fighter quota. The Bangladeshi system is not a quota system for marginalised or deprived peoples, which we are used to in the Indian reservation system. Rather, this is an attempt by the Awami League to permanently create a vote bank for themselves through the creation of a privileged class that receives preferential treatment. 

It is worth noting that this time many descendants of freedom fighters have spoken in support of the movement. In 2018, the government, under pressure from a mass movement was forced to order a halt to this quota system. This order was challenged in court. 

Why has the government not passed a clear cut law regarding the same issue where affirmative action for genuinely deprived peoples is initiated and separated from the “muktijoddha quota” (trans: freedom fighter quota)? In 2018, students demanded a reform of the 30% quota for the families of freedom fighters. And the Hasina government had completely removed the 26% reservations kept for marginalised and deprived peoples along with these quotas. When the same was taken to court, the quota system in its entirety was brought back. 

It is not impossible that some people in the movement are conservative, and some are against quotas for women. However, the arrowhead of the movement is pointed at the freedom fighter quota. This movement is so strong because under decaying capitalism there are very few jobs in underdeveloped Bangladesh, resulting in hundreds of thousands of young people applying for a few thousand secure government jobs. The Bangladeshi government does not look after the interests of the many. They serve international capital, including the big capitalists of China and India and look to line the pockets of the ruling party and political leaders. One of the slogans of the student movement is “Bhua! Bhua” (trans: Fake! Fake!). The underlying issue is that “freedom fighter family” is often a bogus label given to those close to the Awami League.

Sheikh Hasina has tried to label this movement as one of Razakars. In 1971, Razakars assisted the Pakistanis and were traitors to the Bangladeshi cause. The protesters have responded with the slogan “Ami ke? Ami ke? Rajakar! Rajakar! Ke bolechhe? Ke bolecche? Shoirachar! Shoirachar!” (trans: Who am I? Who am I? Rajakar! Rajakar! Who says so? Who says so?  Dictator! Dictator!) The word “Razakar” from the mouth of Sheikh Hasina is similar to the utterance “anti national” or “terrorist” from the mouth of Narendra Modi. 

Masses of students have joined this movement in Bangladesh. As of 6 pm, 18th of July, 2024, 64 people have been martyred. But this movement has not been able to organise itself in a clear leftist direction. Organisations like Jamaat-e-Islami exist in Bangladesh. Hasina has labelled the movement as one completely of Razakars in order to exploit the presence of these organisations. This is of course a failure of left organisations that they have not been able to create a strong counter polarity in their favour. Out of these, the Workers’ Party (known to be close to the CPIM) and sections of JASAD/JSD are completely subservient to Hasina. Others are supportive of the movement but we cannot claim that they are giving any direction to it.

We support the democratic movement of Bangladesh against unjust quotas and at the same time support the system of reservation directed at removing social discrimination. We support the democratic movement of the people against the authoritarian Bangladeshi government and support the demand for democratic elections which was raised by a united left in 2023.

It is an important task in India to stand in solidarity with the movement in Bangladesh for history will read the progressive movements of both countries as intertwined.

We also strongly condemn the actions of the Kolkata police who detained protesters in solidarity 

with Bangladesh and sent them to Lalbazar (HQ of Kolkata police). May the democratic movement of the people stand strong against the union of dictators! 

Radical Socialist – 19th July, 2024

Demonstrators are demanding that the government release protest leaders, lift the military curfew, and reopen the universities.