Zain Syed

Watcher on the wall. Bangladesh. @WSJ @guardian. Focused on the intersection between sustainable development, media and misinformation. RT not endorsement.

[Zain Syed @ZainJourno]

@nomhossain All the more surprising considering the July uprising was a 'people's movement' and not really a conventional protest led by political parties. #Bangladesh 2/2

[Zain Syed @ZainJourno]

@nomhossain The consensus commission and the interim govt seem to assume that the political parties represent the people. While the parties may reasonably claim the support of a chunk of the population, it might be a fatal mistake to assume that they speak for the whole nation. #Bangladesh 1

[UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency @Refugees]

Rohingya refugees want to go home if and when circumstances allow.

@RaoufMazou delivered this message from Bangladesh, reminding the world that after 8 years of exile, continued support for the Rohingya is needed and the responsibility for safe return lies with Myanmar.

[Jan Egeland @NRC_Egeland]

We mark 8 long years of Rohingya displacement.

Over 1.2 million people remain in limbo in Bangladesh – denied rights, and facing aid cuts and fading hope.

The many promises of everlasting solidarity from regional, European, North American, and Gulf powers have been largely broken.

We call for renewed action, protection, funding and durable solutions for all those affected.

[Zain Syed @ZainJourno]

It's possible that these vague cases indicate a lack of investigative capacity. The police are not operating normally, and perhaps the interim govt is in a holding pattern with these overly broad cases, hoping to file specific charges later. #Bangladesh

https://t.co/SkvrTcR5Za

[Arab News @arabnews]

#UAE president pardons #Bangladesh citizens jailed for protesting https://t.co/gnTBLiZhOZ

[Sami @ZulkarnainSaer]

This statement from the junior officers of the Bangladesh Army amplified the strength of the student protestors, correctly reflecting the @WSJ report. The protest ultimately led to the resignation of Bangladesh's authoritarian ruler, Sheikh Hasina. Thanks to the support of the junior-mid ranking officers and troops who denied to shoot at their fellow citizens.

I released this statement on July 19th, and Channel 4 reported on it a day later, on July 20th. Link attached.

[Zain Syed @ZainJourno]

@audowla @ZulkarnainSaer Yes, Mascarenhas compared the Rakkhi Bahini to the Nazi Brownshirts. Basically, in post-independent Bangladesh, a militia that would do with impunity what the army would not.

[Zain Syed @ZainJourno]

My latest on #Bangladesh: A younger generation of officers in Bangladesh played a crucial role in persuading the top rungs of the country's army to pull support for the government https://t.co/AKPHsAHPmw

[Zain Syed @ZainJourno]

@mushfiq_econ But perhaps the damage was done to some extent? Those who flooded social media with fake content counted on 'shock and awe' through sheer volume. Bangladeshis aren't that active on X, and many post in Bangla, which isn't helpful in reaching an int audience. #Bangladesh

[Zain Syed @ZainJourno]

It's strange that an objective analysis of the declaration of one-party rule and the curbs on the media in 1975 #Bangladesh is still considered taboo in the news media and academia in the country. 3/3

[Zain Syed @ZainJourno]

Isn't the argument that one person/party rule can fix an ailing nation a staple for authoritarian rulers the world over? BBC Bangla only interviewed people on the far left who claimed the problems faced by 1972-1975 Bangladesh were too complex for a democracy to handle. 2/3

[Zain Syed @ZainJourno]

Came across this strange episode by BBC Bangla in 2021 which appears to argue that the proclamation of one-party rule in Jan 1975 was justified because Sheikh Mujib was 'tackling adverse political and economic conditions.. and rampant corruption.' 1/2 https://t.co/VcqoPBsNol

[Zain Syed @ZainJourno]

Student leaders who toppled Sheikh Hasina have denounced the mob that prevented people from gathering on the death anniversary of Sheikh Mujib. "Preventing people from paying their respects is a violation of human rights and inconsistent with our revolution," said Sarjis Alam.

[Zain Syed @ZainJourno]

The student leaders issued a statement saying they do not support anything that "violates people's right to privacy and disrupts daily lives," amid reports that some activists, mainly from the anti-AL political parties, checked people's phones to detect 'saboteurs.' #Bangladesh

[Zain Syed @ZainJourno]

Student leaders say they are wary of a security threat if the Awami League marches towards Dhanmondi 32. But critics would say the response should have been tightened security, not complete denial of access. #Bangladesh 3/3

[Zain Syed @ZainJourno]

The students who ousted Sheikh Hasina promised a new beginning and expressed a renewed commitment to freedom of expression - preventing supporters from paying their respects looks like a throwback to the tactics of the previous regime. #Bangladesh 2/2

[Zain Syed @ZainJourno]

People armed with sticks have blocked access to Dhanmondi 32, the home of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, known as Bangabandhu, leader of Bangladesh's independence movement and the first president, who was assassinated on Aug 15, 1975. #Bangladesh 1/2

[Zain Syed @ZainJourno]

Yet another example that typifies the torrent of #misinformation regarding #Bangladesh, mostly coming out of India.

[Rumor Scanner @RumorScanner]

A video of Bangladeshi actress Azmeri Haque Badhan is now spreading in Indian media, falsely claiming it to be a scene of a Hindu woman's tears.

[Zain Syed @ZainJourno]

Another example of how disinformation about #Bangladesh has entered mainstream Indian media, despite fact-checks by reputable orgs such as BBC, DW and others identifying fake content. No news org worth its name should pick up content from social media without verification.

[ANI @ANI]

Correction: The below tweet has been deleted since this person is not from the minority Hindu community. Error regretted.