Deadly flooding in Bangladesh has left millions of people stranded following one of the country’s worst monsoon seasons in 30 years.
Al Jazeera’s Tanvir Chowdhury is in one of the affected areas.
Congratulations to Professor Muhammad Yunus and his fellow advisers on forming the interim government of Bangladesh.
Looking back, this moment arises from the widespread injustices and violations Bangladeshis faced under Sheikh Hasina’s authoritarian regime for 16 grueling years.
The quota movement sparked participation from all democracy-loving people beyond our brave students — from teachers, workers, and rickshaw-pullers to housewives, ordinary citizens, and political activists.
The protests were not just about quota reform, but a united stand against unprecedented levels of corruption, inflation, unemployment, suppression of freedom of expression and human rights violations. The list of wrongdoings by her regime had grown to monstrous heights over Awami League’s rule.
With the fall of the regime, the people of Bangladesh now expect the interim government to create an environment where they can vote freely to reflect their democratic aspirations and enable fair and credible national elections to take place.
@bdbnp78 supports the formation of an elected government with a public mandate, and an accountable parliament serving the people, restoring the people’s rights and freedoms, thereby establishing the rule of law and good governance.
I call upon the people of Bangladesh to display restraint and calm in the midst of this transitional moment on our democratic path. It is our duty to protect all Bangladeshis, irrespective of religion and politics, from discriminatory violence, and not to harass any particular community, create division, or seek vengeance. Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Buddhists, believers, atheists — no one will be left behind or be prejudiced on our democratic path; together, we are all proudly Bangladeshis.
I implore those who have suffered repression and injustice over the past 16 years to take legal and legitimate steps against those who have wronged them. It would defeat the spirit of the revolution that toppled the illegitimate and autocratic regime of Sheikh Hasina if people decide to take the law into their own hands without due process.
I urge all political parties in Bangladesh to remain vigilant and protect the public and private institutions and infrastructures, and to look after our fellow citizens and neighbours during this transitional time.
We must uphold the spirit of our victorious movement, which is to ensure the democratic principles of fairness, equality, and justice for all.
Sheikh Hasina’s visit to the vandalised metro station in Dhaka and her violent rhetoric against the so-called mayhem in government establishments across Bangladesh, stands in sharp contrast to her neglect of hospitals and disrespect to families who have lost their beloved children. This occurs in the backdrop of an unprecedented genocide by a combined force of Police, RAB, BGB, Ansar, Army, Navy, Air Force, and Chhatra League terrorists, resulting in the deaths of thousands of innocent students and pro-democracy activists, with countless others assaulted.
With incidents of Awami League leaders instructing their party men to torch buses and public establishments in Chittagong and elsewhere in Bangladesh (Manabzamin), it is evident that the Hasina regime itself orchestrated these sabotage attacks to malign the ongoing quota movement, eliminate opposition political parties through fabricated cases, and use mega projects as a tool for corruption by inflating the cost of damages.
Questions are being raised across Bangladesh: Since when have public properties become more important than human lives? Can Hasina’s calculated acts of sabotage ever justify the state-sponsored massacre of innocent students? How long will the desperate cries for justice from the victims’ families go unheard? The answers lie in the fact that until there is an elected and accountable government in Bangladesh, Hasina will continue her brutality to cling to power and benefit crony stakeholders.
Is asking for rights and freedoms a crime? Is seeking equality and justice a sin? If not now, when will you strive for the cause of our nation's existence and the independence of its 180 million citizens?
I extend my appeal to all Bangladeshis abroad, irrespective of profession, politics and profile, to save our country in the face of ongoing genocide. This is the time for everyone to raise their voices and take meaningful actions from their respective positions. I believe, as do my countrymen, that the quest for freedom in the pursuit of democracy has never been more resonant in the history of Bangladesh.
I am shocked and aggrieved to see the pictures and videos of our children, brothers and relatives on the roads across Bangladesh, soaked in blood and subjected to assaults in broad daylight. While state-sponsored atrocities escalate with the mass murder of thousands of innocent students and pro-democracy citizens, countless people are suffering from brutal injuries inflicted by law enforcement agencies and Awami League terrorists.
Our next generation, the torchbearers of the democratic and developed Bangladesh we dream of, have shown the way through resilience and sacrifice. The onus is on the rest of us, across all socio-political spectrums, to ensure these sacrifices will not be in vain. The ongoing movement is a testament to our national unity for change, inspiring us to reform not just the quota system but the way Bangladesh is crippled under the authoritarian Sheikh Hasina regime.
Dozens of protestors have been killed by Bangladeshi authorities in recent days. My constituents cannot reach their loved ones due to a government implemented communications blackout.
I call for an end to the blackout and de-escalation of violence against protestors.
Under PM Sheikh Hasina's AUTHORITARIAN rule, Bangladesh imposes a curfew with a SHOOT-ON-SIGHT order for protestors demanding the end of government job quotas favoring members of Hasina's party.