Opinion: After deadly protests, fight for justice continues in Bangladesh

On July 23, the Penn State Bangladesh Cultural Club and Penn State Bangladesh Student Association came together to organize a candlelight vigil at the Old Main steps, commemorating the Bangladeshi students who have lost their lives while protesting against the corrupt systems of the Bangladeshi government.

Protests in Bangladesh began when the High Court of Bangladesh, the top of the nation’s judicial hierarchy, deemed it legal to give 30% of government jobs to children or grandchildren of freedom fighters who fought in the 1971 independence war against Pakistan. This reservation of jobs is permitted in Bangladesh under the quota system.

First established in 1972 following Bangladesh independence from Pakistan, the quota system reserves certain percentages of jobs for certain demographics such as people with disabilities, women, minorities, etc.

On July 15, protests began as students demanded job equality by having merit determine who will get a job and not ancestry.

Awami League, the current party in power, and its leader, Sheikh Hasina, allowed the police to open fire at students during protests. Moreover, the Chhatra League, a student political group, has reportedly beat, tortured, assaulted and raped students. There have been 200 reported deaths.

The Penn State vigil on July 23 held the message of “Students For Students.” The two clubs heavily emphasized the fact that despite being in a foreign land, as students — but more importantly as Bangladeshis — it was their duty to become the voice of the ones who are suffering.

Nurayeen Nuha and Nahian Siddique are the presidents of Bangladesh Cultural Club and Bangladesh Student Association respectively. They both were the lead organizers of the vigil.

“We are not here today to show sympathy or empathy ... [The Bangladeshi students] are brave and courageous and don’t need our sympathy. They need us to be their voice. They need us to help the world know about this injustice,” Nuha said.

Siddique spoke up about Abu Sayeed, who studied at Begum Rokeya University in Bangladesh. Sayeed is a memorable figure of the Anti-Quota Movement as he gave his life to save students when he stood in front of police directly firing.

“When I see people like Abu Sayeed I can only wonder, where did he get this courage from? He knows he may get murdered, but he still fought, he fought till his last breath,” Siddique said.

Bangladesh faced an internet blackout for more than 80 hours this past week. News of the atrocities could not get out, nor could anyone be contacted.

“I had friends and family going out to protest. I did not know if they were dead or alive. It was one of the scariest times of my life,” Nuha said.

The vigil’s purpose was to bring the four points of unity under light:

1. All killings, assault, kidnapping, rape, torture, etc. must stop immediately.

2. Members of Bangladeshi police and the Bangladesh Chhatra League who have participated in crimes of murder, assault, rape, and torture must face consequences.

3. Student political groups must be abolished in the country.

4. The Awami League and Sheikh Hasina must step down.

The youth of Bangladesh has labeled the Awami League as a party who hides under the label of a fair republic. While giving hope to promote rule of law policies, they only continue to snatch away civil liberties and being a one party dominant system, further proving to go by rule by law customs. For years, they have been guilty of influencing elections, raising incarceration rates, increasing the wage gap, and now, murdering the youth.

The government recently agreed to meet the students’ demands and decrease the quota to 5% of the jobs given to children and grandchildren of freedom fighters.

However, now that hundreds of lives have been taken away, students have new demands.

Justice for the lost lives must be served and Sheikh Hasina, who has proven herself to be a fascist dictator, must step down.