Musfiqur Rahman

aka Mushi. Abba to Faatiha. Bangladeshi-Canadian. PhD candidate at @DASLabConcordia. @CREATE_SE4AI trainee. He/Him/His

[Andrej Karpathy @karpathy]

https://t.co/Lb6T42n5jl

[Musfiqur Rahman @mrsumit2010]

This statement is becoming truer and truer everyday.

[Andrej Karpathy @karpathy]

The hottest new programming language is English

[Google AI @GoogleAI]

Today, we’re announcing a major breakthrough that marks a significant step forward in the world of quantum computing. For the first time in history, our teams at @GoogleQuantumAI demonstrated that a quantum computer can successfully run a verifiable algorithm, 13,000x faster than leading classical supercomputers.

This continues to build momentum on past quantum computing discoveries. Back in 2019, we proved a quantum computer could solve a problem that would take a classical computer thousands of years. Then in 2024, our new Willow chip solved a major issue in quantum error correction that challenged the field for nearly 30 years. Today’s breakthrough moves us closer to quantum computers that can drive discoveries in areas like medicine and materials science.

[Musfiqur Rahman @mrsumit2010]

Had a great time in Ottawa (technically Gatineau) at @msrconf dinner with the @DASLabConcordia family.

[Sami @ZulkarnainSaer]

Hundreds of thousands of people gathered today in the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, to join the #MarchforGaza organized by the Palestine Solidarity Movement.

[Mark Carney @MarkJCarney]

This type of violence is not an isolated incident. Islamophobia is real, it is dangerous, and it must stop.

I offer my support and prayers to the victim of this terrible act and am relieved that the police acted quickly and made an arrest.

[Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh @ChiefAdviserGoB]

The Government of Bangladesh expresses its strongest condemnation and profound concerns over the resumption of Israeli military aggression on the Gaza Strip.

[Musfiqur Rahman @mrsumit2010]

My toddler was screaming at me the other day because I had the following conversation with her:

Her: I don't want to wear a diaper.
Me: Okay, you don't have to wear a diaper.
Her: Noooo... (scream!)

😐

[Sami @ZulkarnainSaer]

Sheikh Hasina landed at Kurmitola @BD_Air_Force Base from Gana Bhaban (Residence of the Prime Minister) by helicopter. She was subsequently boarded onto an aircraft. Her next destination will be known shortly.

Footage by a military source (identity withheld for safety)

[Al Jazeera English @AJEnglish]

Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has reportedly resigned and fled the country in the face of ongoing protests https://t.co/XFmwgGUGGD

[Al Jazeera English @AJEnglish]

Bangladesh protesters return to the streets to demand PM’s removal — in pictures.

🔗: https://t.co/UWg29j3ZQu

[Musfiqur Rahman @mrsumit2010]

Yes, again!

[David Bergman @TheDavidBergman]

Again! Bangladesh!

[Sami @ZulkarnainSaer]

As the student protest in Bangladesh continues into its third week, police in the Sylhet district were seen shooting at protesters earlier today. Reports of fresh clashes between students and security forces are emerging from most major cities across the country.

[David Bergman @TheDavidBergman]

What do today's large scale protests throughout Bangladesh, involving hundreds of thousands of people, many of which are calling very directly for Sheikh Hasina to resign, mean?

The protests are unlikely to stop. They are triggered by a quite understandable deep emotional response in the country to the killing by the government's law enforcement authorities of at least 200 people, most of whom were students and ordinary people.

The killings have scarred the nation. There is huge anger. And the Government's response has been unbelievably crude - blaming the opposition, calling them "terrorists", not taking any responsibility. And people just have had enough of the lies. They don't believe the Awami League any more, in part because they have seen what has happened in front of their eyes, or in videos which literally show enforcement authorities shooting at and killing innocent protesting students and others in cold blood. People, many of whom used to support the Awami League and use to speak poorly about the opposition alternatives, now strongly feel that the Awami League has no moral right to remain in power.

In the past the Awami League government's narratives against the opposition hit home, and were often accepted by large sections of civil society. They have effective control of the TV, and there are only a few independent newspapers, which helps. But the situation is different now. It really feels like the Awami league has lost the room, it has lost the country, in fact. It is really difficult to see what they can do now.

The Government could of course do an about-turn. Agree to a UN investigation, accept their responsibility for the killings etc. But it would be such a huge u-turn for the government to make, and very difficult to see the prime minister doing that, having called the Jamaat/BNP opposition as "terrorists". It is also not in her nature. The government may not even survive even if they did that; in the end, people are thinking how can a government that has killed so many remain in power?

Clearly, if Bangladesh was like Iran or other highly repressive countries, perhaps the government could use increased repression to to control the population and the country. But Bangladesh is not like that - and whilst the law enforcement authorities have been very loyal to the Awami League, they would unlikely to willing to take part in the levels of repression that would be necessary.

The Bangladesh government is now looking towards India, the Awami League's principal supporter. The Indian government will no doubt do many things to help Bangladesh, but in the end, in the context of these huge protests, they can only do so much. They will however certainly ensure that Sheikh Hasina remains safe, and will airlift her out of the country, if things were ever to get dangerous for her. India will provide as much political support as they can, until they realise that it is not working.

The liberal democratic international community now have an important role to play. It has to try and persuade the Awami League that it is in their best interests now to resign and allow some form of peaceful transfer of power of some kind of army-backed government, as a prelude to sometime in the near future to free and fair elections. No-one ideally wants the army involved, but there is no way to avoid a blood bath unless that is the case. The countnry's army is the only institution in the county that can play that "independent" role. The prime minister though is not going to listen to the West. The only way that she will even think about doing it is if India pushes them in this direction. So the liberal democratic international community must pressure India.

However, right now, there is no clarity that "the West" is thinking like this at all. Although the EU has issued a strongly worded statement, no other country has; they have only condemned violence generally, rather than the law enforcement killings in particular.

Although the Awami League has not come to power through free and fair elections since 2009, the West has supported Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League, seeing them, despite their authoritarianism, as providing stability and economic development. However, the costs of the West now supporting authoritarianism and acquiescing to serious human rights violations, is coming home to roost, as the people of the country are finally asserting themselves. The West should realise that and change their diplomatic postures.

Right now, the only question seems to be is how long wil the Awami League remain in power. There is a kind of popular revolution taking place in the country, and many people think that Sheikh Hasina should read the writing on the wall, both metaphorically and literally. It says: Resign.

[UN Human Rights @UNHumanRights]

#Bangladesh: @volker_turk calls on authorities to urgently disclose information on protests crackdown amid reported cases of horrific violence.

Estimates indicate over 170 people killed & thousand injured.

Law enforcement operations must abide by international human rights law.

[DOAM @doamuslims]

🚨 Bangladeshi soldiers firing at students in Mohammadpur, #Dhaka.

#QuotaReform #QuotaProtest #StepDownHasina #Bangladesh #SaveBangladeshiStudents #Dhaka #QuotaReformMovement #Bangladesh

[Musfiqur Rahman @mrsumit2010]

😞

[Netra News @NetraNews]

Samir wasn’t even outdoors playing. He was inside his home in the Mirpur neighbourhood of Dhaka. When he looked out the window before trying to close it to prevent tear gas from entering, a bullet hit his skull through his eye, killing him almost instantly.https://t.co/5ZytNQEn8O

[David Bergman @TheDavidBergman]

Following on from my post about the UK Awami League ... In the evening of July 18, the UK Awami League held a meeting, and participants posted video of it on Facebook. At the podium were both the President and General Secretary of the UK AL, along with other of its leaders. By this time, #Bangladesh media were reporting that 47 people had been killed by law enforcement authorities seeking to quash the student protests. There is now a reported death tool of just over 200.

The banner of the meeting reads (in translation): "A gathering to protest the demeaning of Bengali's independence, the justifying the genocidal acts of the most hated Razakars, and creating anarchy in the name of movement." Those not acquainted with Bangladesh may find this a little difficult to understand, but the implication here is that the student protests were completely illegitimate and its quashing entirely justified as the protestors were against Bangladesh independence. Pictures of the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, her son and her father are on the banner.

It should be noted that the students were only protesting against 30% Quotas for civil service jobs given to the grandchildren of those who fought in the 1971 war of independence.

At some point at this UK Awami League meeting, most of those who attended shouted slogans which included: "Roads are trembling, because Awami League is marching."

Another slogan was: "Sheikh Hasina, take no fear, Chhatra League is with you." Sheikh Hasina is the country's prime minister and the Chaatra League is the student wing of the governing Awami League, who led the attacks on the protesting students in Bangladesh .

This is very scary language in support of the Awami League in Bangladesh and its prime minister, who brutally cracked down on student protests and at present are trying to white wash the 200+ killings caused by the country's law enforcement authorities.

The UK Awami League, big supporters of the Labour party in the Uk, and in particular its MP Tulip Siddiq (the prime minister's niece) should be called out.

See this: https://t.co/EKepDRhe4D

[Sami @ZulkarnainSaer]

Since the internet connection was partially restored in Bangladesh, graphic images and videos have flooded the web. In one such video, members of the Bangladesh police are seen shooting at an injured person from point-blank range (at south of Dhaka, Shanir Akhra area). The injured individual was being carried away by another protestor, but the police shot both.

Fearing safety, the person who was assisting ran away with his life, leaving the injured at the mercy of almighty. They were unarmed.

Sheikh Hasina and her associates should be held responsible for this carnage.

FYKI @srpoverty @UNPeacekeeping @RFKHumanRights @hrw @crdefenders @CIVICUSalliance @CIVICUSMonitor @volker_turk @StateDRL @Lacroix_UN @FCDOGovUK @StateDept @usembassydhaka @UKinBangladesh @EUinBangladesh @StateDeptSpox @State_SCA @HumanRightsCtte @MaryLawlorhrds

[David Bergman @TheDavidBergman]

Bangladesh. Everyone Read this! @shahidul on the student protests and the government’s brutal response.

https://t.co/o5agzeKKQ8