Bangladesh: Calling the United Nations to Halt the Murder of Agitating Bangladeshi Nationals
By Nava Thakuria, New
Age Islam
23 July
2024
After
nearly hundreds of young people, precisely students, were killed by the
government armed forces in liaison with the ruling party affiliates in
Bangladesh, the country’s lone Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus made a
clarion call to the international community including the United Nations to
halt the murder of agitating Bangladeshi nationals across the south Asian
nation.
“The
nationwide killing spree of Bangladeshi students and other citizens must be
prevented. I urge the media outlets across the globe to come forward reporting
the ground reality so that many precious lives can be saved,” said Prof Yunus,
a man of international fame for his revolutionary banking and social business
that enhances not only Bangladesh but many nations on Earth, but faces personal
harassments from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina with a number of fictitious legal
charges.
Speaking to
this writer from Dhaka on Monday, Prof Yunus also insisted on quality
television debates and pragmatic editorials over the turmoil faced by his
beloved country of 170 populations, where even the ‘high school students become
the victims’ as they joined the anti-quota movement in Bangladesh that began on
1 July following a court order reinstating the reservation facility for the
dependants of war veterans.
“Engulfed
in a serious crisis, Bangladesh witnesses millions of students and others
protesting nationals have been attacked by the police and Border Guard
Bangladesh personnel leading to more than 200 deaths and 700 injuries, some of
whom remain in serious health conditions,” exclaimed Prof Yunus, adding that
‘there must be investigations into the killings that have taken place already’.
Though it
began with a peaceful protest demonstration on the prestigious Dhaka University
premises demanding the reservation quota for the dependents of freedom fighters’ families (who fought
against the brutal Pakistani forces) in the government jobs to be abolished, it
spread quickly to other university campuses and cities. The general population,
who are seemingly unhappy with the Awami League-led government in Dhaka that
achieved the fourth consecutive victory in the last national elections with no
opposition candidates, joined the movement to make it a national outrage
against the Hasina regime.
The ruling
party leaders including some ministers in Hasina’s cabinet allege that the
anti-quota movement is now hijacked by the BNP (along with Jamaat-e-Islami)
workers to topple the government. They claimed that the so-called agitators
with the endorsement of BNP leaders had indulged in violent activities. BNP
chief Khaleda Zia’s son Tarique Rahman, who is living in exile for years, has
also been accused of hatching a conspiracy against the government. The ruling
party leaders also denied the allegation that quota facility had only benefited
the loyalists of Hasina in various government jobs.
The
government imposed a nationwide curfew with the shoot at sight order on 20 July
and deployed military personnel to support the police and civilian authorities.
The agitation turned violent following the aggression shown by the members of
Bangladesh Chhatra League and Juba League (student and youth wing of ruling
Awami League) on the agitators. Lately the Supreme Court restricted the space
for reservation to freedom fighters’ families from 30 to 5 percent. But the
apex court did not scrap the reservation policy and hence it may not
immediately quell down the protest, as the students vowed to continue their
movement until the particular quota gets abolished.
Amidst the
chaos, a young reporter named Hasan Mehedi was killed at Jatrabari area of
Dhaka on 18 July. Mehedi, who worked for Bangla digital media outlet Dhaka
Times was covering the clashes erupted between the police forces and agitating
students and died of bullet injuries in his head. Various global media safety
and rights bodies including Paris-based Reporters sans/without Borders (RSF)
and Geneva- Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) expressed shock and grief over the
killing of Mehedi and demanded a fair probe into the incident that led to his
death.
Over 30
journalists were wounded while covering the protest demonstrations in the last
few days. PEC president Blaise Lempen, while speaking to this writer from
Geneva, stated that the media persons in Bangladesh have to work in an adverse
situation because of many brutal laws formulated by the Bangla government in
Dhaka in recent years. He urged Dhaka to look into the matter seriously and
adequately compensate the bereaved family as early as possible.
Prof Yunus
finally called on world leaders to do everything within their powers to end the
violence against those who are exercising their rights to protest. The internet
and telephone services have been restricted and so it is unlikely that his
fellow citizens can hear this appeal soon or be able to take their own
initiatives. So the octogenarian banker turned social thinker urged the people
of goodwill around the world to add their voices to the call to end this
carnage, so that the natives can go back to our mission to build a
self-reliant, democratic, and peaceful Bangladesh.
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Nava Thakuria is a northeast India-based professional journalist who is
an engineering graduate.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/current-affairs/agitation-un-murder-bangladeshi-nationals/d/132763
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