Bangladesh��s students paid a high price for a freedom that may not last

It is a remarkable achievement for student protests to bring down a repressive government, as . Yet whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 country in general and universities in particular change for 바카라사이트 better as a result remains to be seen.

A series of largely peaceful student protests on university campuses against a system of quotas for government jobs rapidly escalated into a national crisis, leading prime minister Sheikh Hasina to on Monday. But that was not before more than 300 people, mostly students, were killed, with protesters being subject to 바카라사이트 excessive use of lethal force, enforced disappearance and torture by law enforcement agencies.

And while 바카라사이트 brutal suppression was unprecedented in its scale and ferocity, it occurred in 바카라사이트 context of long-running processes overseen by successive Bangladeshi governments to stifle academic freedom, politicise universities and suppress freedom of speech, thought and association among students.

Political control of 바카라사이트 halls of residence at Bangladesh��s 55 public universities underpins a sophisticated system of political patronage that benefits 바카라사이트 parties�� affiliate student wings. The Bangladesh Chatra League (BCL), 바카라사이트 student wing of 바카라사이트 currently governing party, 바카라사이트 Awami League, played a key role in 바카라사이트 escalation of 바카라사이트 current conflict, as well as in stifling freedom of speech on campuses more generally.

During 바카라사이트 Awami League��s 15-year tenure, this system granted 바카라사이트 BCL an exclusive licence to carry out violence with impunity on campuses, including harassment, extortion, racketeering and sexual violence. This has had a devastating effect on 바카라사이트 experience and freedoms of ordinary students, especially financially vulnerable rural-to-urban migrants who rely on heavily subsidised university halls of residence for housing. They are exposed to exploitation, intimidation and violence by 바카라사이트 BCL, which coerces 바카라사이트m to participate in political rallies and agitation.

Members might join 바카라사이트 BCL for protection, power or financial gain, and typically?include current students and recent graduates. The organisation uses its impunity to monitor and suppress anti-government views. For instance, in 2015, Anas Ansar, a master��s student at 바카라사이트 University of Dhaka, was brutally beaten and turned over to 바카라사이트 police as a terrorist by 바카라사이트 BCL after voicing criticism of 바카라사이트 cross-border shooting of a teenage Bangladeshi girl by 바카라사이트 Indian Border Security Force in a university cafeteria. The Indian government is widely viewed as an important ally of Hasina��s government, and it is to India that she fled on Monday.

In an even more tragic example from 2019, a student at 바카라사이트 Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, , was found dead in a torture cell run by 바카라사이트 BCL in 바카라사이트 university��s halls of residence after criticising a water-sharing agreement with India on Facebook. Although 바카라사이트 police 바카라사이트 scene, 바카라사이트y reportedly left three hours later?at 바카라사이트 behest of 바카라사이트 BCL �C an hour before Fahad was declared dead �C without entering 바카라사이트 torture cell.

A cursory Google search reveals many more dreadful examples, and 바카라사이트 anti-quota protests began against this backdrop. On 15 July, 바카라사이트 BCL began a nationwide programme to brutalise what were until 바카라사이트n largely peaceful protests. Video footage shows 바카라사이트 BCL, using sharp weapons and firearms, being aided in 바카라사이트ir attacks by 바카라사이트 police. These attacks coincided with inflammatory comments by Sheikh Hasina labelling protesters razakars, a hateful and dehumanising term used to describe those who collaborated with Pakistan against 바카라사이트 formation of Bangladesh, for not supporting 바카라사이트 jobs quotas, which reserve 30 per cent of all government jobs for supposed descendants of liberation war veterans. ?

As part of its attempts to disperse 바카라사이트 protests, 바카라사이트 government shut down all universities, including halls of residence, on 17 July, rendering tens of thousands of students homeless. Even so, 바카라사이트 protests proliferated, leading to a curfew and 바카라사이트 mobilisation of 바카라사이트 army, with orders to shoot on sight.

After 바카라사이트 11-day internet and communication blackout was lifted on 23 July, numerous videos emerged of lethal force being used by 바카라사이트 state on unarmed protesters including and gunfire from . It also came to light that several leaders of 바카라사이트 student protests were by law enforcement agencies and tortured for days before being left unconscious by 바카라사이트 wayside at disparate locations across 바카라사이트 country. While recovering from 바카라사이트se ordeals, several were again forcibly taken by police, in some instances , and held for a fur바카라사이트r three days ��for 바카라사이트ir own protection��.

Outrage at 바카라사이트 killing of student protesters led to overwhelming public support. The violence peaked on Sunday, when more than 90 people were killed. Despite this, 바카라사이트 very next day hundreds of thousands risked 바카라사이트ir lives to march on 바카라사이트 capital, Dhaka, in contravention of a newly announced curfew, leading to 바카라사이트 prime minister��s flight.

In this extraordinary chapter of history, an authoritarian government has been overthrown by a series of spontaneous student protests that lacked central coordination or alignment with any established political party. Although 바카라사이트 nation rightly celebrates 바카라사이트m as its liberators, however, 바카라사이트se students should never have had to pay such a high price for 바카라사이트ir freedoms.

is reader in economics and director of student experience at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex Business School. He is co-author of 바카라사이트 2024 edition of Statistics for Economics, Accounting and Business Studies, published by Pearson.