A movement started at public universities demanding reform to the quota system in government jobs, which later spread out to private universities, colleges and other educational institutions. Samina Luthfa, associate professor of sociology at Dhaka University, spoke to Prothom Alo’s Monzurul Islam about students’ participation in the movement, situation at the universities during the movement and what to do now.
The movement for a reform in the quota in government jobs was mainly revolving around the universities. Their movement was going on peacefully. Violence erupted with attacking the students at Dhaka University, followed by clashes, deployment of the police and Border Guard Bangladesh on the campus, as well as vacating the halls. How do you see these incidents? How would you evaluate the role of university administration?
Samina Luthfa: The quota reform protesters of 2024 were organised and peaceful from the beginning, but the Chhatra League (BCL) attacked the protesting students on campuses with bamboos, iron rods and so on, leaving scores of students injured.
Later, students were driven out of the halls by the evening with police, Rapid Action Battalion and BGB firing teargases and sound grenades. Hence, the outgoing students fell prey to the waiting goons and faced coercion on the roads.
The university administrators (vice chancellors, proctors and provosts) failed to protect the students completely instead of providing students with safety and creating opportunities for the students to leave the campuses safely.
If administrators of the universities have any shame they should have resigned.
To date, more than 200 people were reportedly killed in this protest and movement and several thousand people were injured. Deployment of the police, BGB and RAB did not work. Finally, the army was called and a curfew was imposed. How would you explain the entire situation?
Samina Luthfa: Usually, nondemocratic governments want to suppress any moment completely using state machinery because they fear any protest might oust them.
We have seen nothing over the past seven days other than the government’s effort to gain mileage over political opponents. The count of death tolls has not been finished. Yet, thousands of protesters are being rounded up in harassing cases; injured students are leaving hospitals fearing detention and coordinators of the movement are being picked up and tortured.
We are stunned, surprised and aggrieved seeing the video clips of the incidents including firing shots from helicopters, firing on protesting civilians, shooting injured people at point blank, shooting pedestrians on heads from behind and shooting the youth hanging on the under-construction building to ensure his death.
This is no war situation; civilians were protesting. There is no example of applying such forces to quell a civilian movement in history.
The United Nations already expressed deep concern over the incidents; Bangladesh expatriates from various countries and global citizens condemned this killing spree.
Not only job seekers but people from other professions of society are involved in this movement. How do you see this movement as a sociologist? Is this giving signals for any change in our state, politics and society?
Samina Luthfa: In terms of sociology, the 2024 quota reform can be called a backlash protest that later turned into a mass upsurge. The government that has been in power for over 15 years by holding three consecutive questionable elections applied additional and illegal power using the BCL, police, BGB and RAB.
This movement cannot be pacified by deploying the army and imposing a curfew. Internet blackouts, block raids, mass arrests and harassment followed. Yet, people continue to protest.
Today, the movement turned into a mass upsurge and that shook the people around the world.
Allegations of violence, sabotage and destroying state properties have been brought up; cases were also filed. Several thousand people were rounded up over the past couple of days. Many of them including university students were put on remand. What do you think about the outcomes of these?
Samina Luthfa: The impact of the permanent damage to Bangladesh’s economic, diplomatic and political images that occurred due to short-sightedness and imprudence will be deep and long-lasting.
The effort to observe the state mourning by the government standing on the dead bodies of hundreds of people is a complete farce, which the students rejected.
Citizens are feeling the power of the unity that is building between students and people against each falsification, farce and PR campaign of the government forces, but is the government feeling it?
If they do, the government must follow the path of peace by stopping oppression and suppression and must follow the path of seeking forgiveness by stopping falsification.
The government must follow the path of proper investigation, justice and humanity. Otherwise, they will not get back the trust of this new generation.
This is no longer limited to the quota reform movement. Now demand has arisen for the trial of the ‘July killings’.