Revolutionary songs from the 1971 Liberation War echoed throughout Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, as people of all ages danced, sang and embraced one another. Young Bengalis all over the world took to the streets to celebrate.

“Bangladesh is finally free,” Faizan Yameen Ahmed, a 22 year-old Bangladeshi university student in the Netherlands, told Harbingers’ Magazine. “People are even calling it our second independence”.

Ahmed states that “now is the time to once again rebuild this country where corruption, greed and oppression have been injected into the society on a fundamental level”.

Why did the prime minister resign and flee?

On Monday August 5, Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country after weeks of brutal and deadly protests.

In Dhaka, tens of thousands of anti-government protesters had defied a military curfew and marched downtown demanding Hasina’s resignation. They stormed and vandalised the former prime minister’s palace. The 76 year-old escaped by motorcade before being airlifted out by helicopter to safety in India.

The previous Sunday had marked was the deadliest day in the recent protests, in which more than 90 people died, including at least 13 police officers.

First elected prime minister in 1996, Hasani ruled the country as leader of the centre-left Awami League party for a total of 20 years, most recently from January this year. The party was founded by her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who is credited with leading Bangladesh to independence from Pakistan in 1971.

In the last 15 years, opponents have increasingly accused Hasani of corruption, nepotism and authoritarianism.

Why were students protesting?

The student-led protests erupted after Bangladesh’s Supreme Court reinstated a controversial job quota system in June. The scheme, which reserved 30% of government jobs for relatives of war veterans who fought for Bangladesh’s independence in 1971, had been rescinded in 2018.

Job shortages and high youth unemployment rates led to protests at Dhaka University on July 1, demanding reforms to the quota scheme. The situation intensified after Hasina allegedly referred to the protesters as ‘razakars’, a term historically used to insult those opposing the state during the Liberation War.

Ahmed responded to this incident, stating  “we just want jobs, why are we being called enemies of the state?”

At least five people were killed and dozens injured on July 16, when students clashed with police who used tear gas and rubber bullets. In total, sources report a death toll of 440 people with thousands more injured or arbitrarily arrested.

Even though the court scrapped its earlier ruling in July – opening up 93% of government jobs to candidates on merit, without quotas – protestors expanded the movement to go after Hasina and demand broader freedoms and rights following the government’s violent crackdown on the peaceful demonstrations.

“It’s very symbolic that every time it is the students who start the revolution,” Ahmed explained. “My dad and granddad didn’t fight for our independence for us to not even be able to say what we want”.

What’s next for Bangladesh?

On August 6, the day after Hasina fled and parliament was dissolved, the military appointed Muhammad Yunus as head of the army-backed interim government. The 84 year-old economist, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and long-time critic of Hasina was the ‘preferred choice’ of the student protesters.

According to Ahmed, in addition to having to address Bangladesh’s fragile economy, which has been further impacted by the unrest, one of the primary tasks of the interim government will be to bring to justice those who incited violence against civilians. Many of these individuals have fled or gone into hiding, making the pursuit of justice both resource-intensive and complex.

The lack of accountability for the past 15 years of Hasina’s rule is another key issue. Corruption has become deeply ingrained, implicating police officers, top army officials, government employees and businessmen who benefited from the previous regime.

Hasina’s departure may also result in the re-emergence of the conservative, centre-right Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) as a significant political force. Historically, the BNP has wielded considerable influence and contributed to the nation’s turmoil. Ahmed notes how “the concerning part is, when they [the BNP] were in power, they were also burning the country to the ground”.

However, Ahmed is hopeful that things may improve in Bangladesh. “With determination and a strategic approach, the interim government has the potential to lay the groundwork for a brighter future. The hope is that, despite the current turmoil, Bangladesh can emerge as a nation that embodies genuine freedom and opportunity for all its citizens.”