Dhaka: As the interim government charts out a roadmap for the future of Bangladesh, one of its priorities is ensuring justice to those killed, including the Hindu minorities, in the recent turmoil, student leader Nahid Islam told ThePrint.
Talking about the attacks, in which at least 11 Hindus were killed and 15 temples vandalised across the country, Islam said that orders have been given for a proper investigation into the incidents that took place.
He said that if someone from India wants to come and investigate, they are welcome.
“We have been having meetings with minority leaders, religious leaders. We have talked about solving whatever problems the minorities are facing,” he said, sitting in his new office at the Dhaka secretariat. “If someone from India wants to come and investigate, we welcome them to come and see what the actual scenario here is like.”
In an exclusive interview to ThePrint, Islam, who is the information and communications tech adviser to the interim government, said that the minority problem has been persistent in Bangladesh and that they have been always used as a “political votebank”.
He said that there were political reasons behind the incidents that took place during the shift of power, which were then “exaggerated for propaganda.”
“We are not differentiating between anyone as a minority or a majority, but as a citizen of Bangladesh. So justice can be brought to all. We will ensure equal rights and dignity for all.”
Regarding the civilian killings that went unrecorded when there was complete lawlessness, Islam said that the interim government is working on establishing a Fact-Finding Committee.
“We will investigate this on a case by case basis. We would ensure justice to all. The exact number of martyrs and dead people is not yet known. We have found their families and have reached out to them. We will ensure that what happens then is out in front of the whole world, and we are able to show it,” he said.
‘An organic protest which toppled govt’
On the role of Student Against Discrimination, a body that led the protests which led to the fall of Awami League government, Islam said that it was an “organic protest” as people felt for the cause and the idea gained popularity across the country very soon.
“We organised these protests under the banner of the Students Against Discrimination from 1 July. These protests started against the quota movement and grew organically. That is when we coordinated with the leaders of these movements across universities to make it bigger.”
Islam said that soon it became an open platform where any student, or student organisations could join and raise their concern.
It was not based on anyone’s politics or their political identity, he said. “This became an open platform for students. In Bangla, it is called ‘Boishommo Birodhi Chhatro Andolon’. Since it was open and accessible to all, it was able to engage everyone quickly and became something people could put their faith on.”
Regarding how the protests became violent, Islam said that the Sheikh Hasina government gave orders to “shoot students” and that is when the protests became fierce “to end oppression.”
He said that it was a very peaceful protest in the beginning and it was the government that added “fuel to the fire.”
“They attacked women, children, and university campuses were shut down. It was actually the government that made this movement turn violent. When the police started firing indiscriminately at unarmed civilians, they had no option but to retaliate,” he said. “Had the government not used these violent tactics, a peaceful transition would have been possible, but that did not happen.”
‘Hasina used force till last minute’
Islam said that till the last day Hasina tried “using brute force to remain in power”, despite being given time to resign and leave the chair.
“We have seen that until the last day, until the morning of 5 August, civilians have been shot at. Till her last day, Sheikh Hasina tried to remain in power using brute force. When the government is applying brute force, state machinery is being used against civilians and students, people will revolt. This turned into a violent situation, and Sheikh Hasina created a civil war-like situation,” he said.
“Had she wanted, Sheikh Hasina could have made a peaceful transition; she could have calmly resigned. We repeatedly gave her the time. She, however, even during the movement and afterward, when we gave her time to resign, became more violent— arrests were made—so the people were left with no choice but to protest.”
Islam said that although they expected an impact, they never thought it would lead to the fall of the government. He added that the end of the “autocratic rule was inevitable.”
“We did not expect that it would happen like this, but it is part of Bangladesh’s history that every autocratic ruler has seen their fall through student movements,” he said.
“Bangladesh has been under fascism for the past 15 years. The people were expecting an uprising. So when the students rebelled for their rights and the people came out in support, it grew big. The pent-up anger of the citizens and the economic crisis all played a role in the beginning of this movement and the eventual fall of Hasina and her government.”
He said that across universities, “torture of students by the Awami League’s student wing, had become a norm.”
Islam said there was no freedom for dissent, freedom of speech in campuses and students would lead an inhuman life.
“They (students) have wanted to revolt at times in the past. At the national level, there was massive corruption, and protestors were crushed. There were three unfair elections where citizens did not have voting rights. There was no governance and power was concentrated in the hands of a few people,” the student leader said.
“The Hasina family, which had turned into a dynasty, harboured all the money, power, and privilege. Citizens were unhappy, abused and tortured, and that is what motivated the people to join this movement and lay down their lives for the fall of Sheikh Hasina.”
‘Justice, reforms among challenges’
Ensuring justice to families who lost their loved ones, bringing people who were involved in mass killings to task, and ushering in reforms across departments are the priorities of the interim government, Islam said.
“We are talking about a new political settlement. We have to reform the structure of Bangladesh, which is broken,” he said. “To do so, every institution needs to be reformed. We have already started working on it. There have been ongoing discussions with all stakeholders.”
As for the institutions that need reform, Islam identified the election commission, administration and law enforcement, judiciary, and, most importantly, the constitution.
“Within our constitution, there have been lingering problems that have led to the rise of authoritarianism and fascism. We are paying attention to these things, along with the economic challenges that lie ahead of us, and we are looking at bringing back normalcy in the law and order situation,” he said.
“A lot of it has been done, but to also bring back faith in our police and others, it is being done systematically.”
Islam said that the interim government has sought reform proposals from every department and ministry. “We are even taking suggestions from the people and are making a holistic roadmap.”
‘Old politics will not work’
Islam also reiterated that whatever reforms are brought about, will be done with the consensus of the people and all political parties.
“This is a huge chance for Bangladesh, where we will rebuild it. So this government will look at that reformation project, and these decisions will not be made individually but based on a national consensus. All the political parties will have a say in it.”
He said that going ahead, old politics will not work and that political parties would have to undergo a transformation and present a new face to the students who were part of this uprising.
“An uprising took place and certain aspirations, spirits, and commitments have been created. Going ahead, Bangladesh will have to place faith in this spirit and govern according to those commitments,” he said. “Consequently, reforms might be needed even within the parties. The old politics will not work in Bangladesh. It is not attractive to the new crowd.”
When asked if the student body plans to make a political party of their own, Islam said that what Bangladesh needs right now is “national unity.”
“We are not thinking of a separate political party at this moment. We are part of the interim government. A huge chunk of the students are directing the government so that the spirit of the uprising remains, and the government works accordingly. We want national unity, so we don’t want to get into any conflicts or get tangled in the power games at this moment,” he said. “When elections take place, we will decide according to the situation and the will of the people.”
On arrests of Awami League leaders
When asked about questions being raised over the arrest of people who may have had nothing to do with the turmoil like as seen in the case of a cricketer, Islam said that they are “concerned about it” and have already begun “investigating the matter to ensure that everyone gets justice.”
He said the government will make sure that those who receive punishment get it “only for their recorded crimes.”
“Since the entire structure of the judiciary and law enforcement has not been revealed, and there are still people from the Awami League in these structures, they are still trying to do this in the earlier ways, but the government did not have any such intention.”
“We are investigating this matter, and those who have been falsely accused of murder will be relieved, and if they are punished, it will only be for the crimes they committed, and if they have not committed any crime, then they will not be falsely sentenced,” he added.
‘India-Bangladesh need to keep ties steady’
Islam said that Bangladesh has a historical, cultural and traditional relationship with India and that there is a need to keep it steady.
He claimed that India focused more on strengthening its relationship with the Awami League than with the people or Bangladesh. There is a larger sentiment that whatever the Awami League did in the earlier years to remain in power, including conducting unfair elections, has been undertaken with India’s direct and indirect support, he added.
“The Awami League has stood against the people of Bangladesh for the past few years, and naturally, anyone who supports it is unpopular among the Bangladeshi masses. From that perspective, there is a critical antagonism against India,” he said.
“Apart from this, there are some major problems, like border killings and water disputes. So there was always an ongoing tension regarding these issues, but the people are hurt to see India explicitly supporting the Awami League.”
He added that India needs to improve its relations with Bangladesh—state to state and people to people—not any party because parties go and governments change, but a state’s relationship with another remains.
“India should take the initiative to resolve its problems with Bangladesh, because if problems remain, if this dislike towards India continues, and if instability remains, it will be a problem for the entire South Asia. So for a peaceful and democratically functioning South Asia, good relations between India and Bangladesh are necessary.”
‘Icon of a fascist regime’
Commenting on why the crowds vandalised the statue of Mujibur Rahman, Islam said that he had become the “icon of this fascist regime”.
“All the wrongdoing done by this regime was done while keeping Mujibur Rahman’s statue or his picture in front. All the actions were justified, saying that he was Hasina’s father and the leader of the freedom movement,” Islam said. “This is why people started to see him as an icon of this fascist regime.”
Islam added that the role of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the 1971 struggle is undeniable, but that is only one side of the story.
“The formation of BAKSAL (The Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League) or his oppression of the people has seen criticism in history. This regime had established Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as a cult. So, when citizens stand up against fascism, quite naturally, they will also break these ideas of a cult figure,” he said.
Islam said that Sheikh Hasina and the Awami regime are solely responsible for transforming Sheikh Mujibur into a fascist icon.
“Personally, I don’t have any ambitions or aspirations. Many have laid their lives for this movement, many have been killed. I am their leader, so whatever the people want, whatever they aspire to—a better life, a better Bangladesh and justice—my responsibility is to ensure that happens. I believe that is my job,” he said.
Transcribed by Debdutta Chakraborty
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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