More than a couple of months have passed since the July Revolution in Bangladesh. Not only the country become independent in this revolution from the authoritarian regime of Sheikh Hasina, but this revolution also gave my life many things and took away some things. Today I sat down to make a small calculation to sum up all my sacrifices and gains that make me a different person with different aspirations and a new enlightenment of thoughts that can help me to study the human and its relation with the power. Really, I can clearly understand how toxic the power is and how the world's fate is bound with the power game among the nations.
If you are completely new to learning about the revolution of Bangladesh recently then I suggest you learn it from any news portal or YouTube videos or you can check my old blogs on the issues that I have shared during those days. I will tell you the main facts in short at a glance to cut the long story short. Mainly, our ex-Prime minister Sheikh Hasina was illegally occupied power with the help of India, the USA and the support of the West by spreading false propaganda that Bangladeshi Muslims are involving extremism which is a completely wrong message. But it was believed by some countries as the govt. law enforcement agencies have staged several incidents inside the country to fuel up the propaganda. And after a slightly acceptable election in 2008, Hasina made one party election in 2014 where no opposition party was involved, a night-voted election in 2018, and a dummy election in this year. So, the hatred was increasing among the general people but the police and other law-enforcing agencies made many extra-judicial killings, and enforced disappearances to null out the public voice by making a fearful surrounding.
Just in this circumstance, an old dispute came out from the students who wanted to modify the quota systems which was a weapon for the ruling party to recruit the party members to every sector of the country from the backdoor to make the government stronger against any opposition party. And, as usual after for times of unlawful elections, the ruling party thought they had the supreme authority to do what they wanted and they didn’t pay any attention to the vice of the students. And some ministers including Sheikh Hasina used some hatred worlds and do mockery with the students and the student protest became stronger with multiple demands and the Police fired to the students front of the television cameras towards the unarmed students and some students were spot dead as the Police had turned into the slave of the ruling party for the last 16 years. And thus the Student's protests was just spread out like a volcano all over the country through extreme fights against all the law enforcing force except the Bangladesh Army, with around 1600+ martyrs, 30000+ wounded and so many sacrifices, on 5th August (We named it 36 July), Sheikh Hasina fled to India.
I have been with this revolution since the beginning, especially from July 12/13, I was just concerned before that, I thought the government would accept these simple demands. At that time, I could not imagine that this revolution would come so far and I guess why no one could have thought of it. My wife is a university student, so I used to get latest updates from her as she was also a participant for the protest for the rightful demands.
I can still remember those days of protest against the tyranny of the government. Then the martyrdom of Abu Sayed brought a new momentum to this revolution, the protest of the 17th of the private university brought a new chapter, at that time I was just scrolling through Facebook, suffering every death. My wife went to Uttara BNS that day, and saw the brutality of the state forces! The man who has never thought about politics has been shaken by this revolution. And that was the spirit of this revolution.
Then we all know that the rampage that started with the net off on Friday was a tough time for us expats like me as we couldn’t contact with the whole country. If not that history, I will write another day how most of the country's expatriates used to spend their days. I come to the words of my life. As I said earlier, this July revolution has started a new chapter in life.
I have never brought political identity or religion to the front of my family and I never thought about it because I had no desire to do so, I never thought that I would stay in the country from the beginning. As one of my college roommates was a top level leader of the Central Committee of Chhatra League, and I grew up with many leaders in my varsity life, even from my college life to varsity life I always have one or more Hindu roommates and many close Hindu friends (who are the blind supporter of Hasina regime as Modi was Hasina’s master) as those who have seen me know very well. I have never thought about these things. But the July Revolution taught me several lessons about how people sell out to political greed. Although not all of my Hindu friends said anything, the use of some Muslim friends really gave me a chance to explore a new life.
Many people have heard a lot of things, many people have made veiled threats, many people have unfriended, many people have written their names on secret lists, many people may even have uttered hateful insults in their hearts, I myself have unfriended many people, who sang in the name of shooting these students like Nangto. Because such inhuman friends, brothers or acquaintances are much better than not being in my life.
I don't have any political identity but I am very politically aware so some of the intentional posts or writings I have shared are just to undermine political opponents which hurt many but I don't care as those inhuman supporters deserve that. I have an endless itch against some country’s political motto, ideologies, or individuals, but I have long protested attacks on my own religion, just as I never belittle anyone's religion. And it's my nature to always call white white and black black. That's why I made many posts, and many comments which may have been centered on this revolution, I ended it after the vicory.
Now come on, I may never be able to consider some people as friends from my heart. I don't want anyone to be in my acquaintances like those who after the country's internet shutdown started condoling killing people like birds and after seeing the brutally killed and burnt bodies like the video a few days ago, think that Awami League does not have this medicine. I have many Awami acquaintances who are really ashamed of this fact, people are the ones who have something called conscience.
However, my life was worth it that I was with the truth and this victory cannot be overstated. Insha-Allah I will stay with the truth in the future. And for this many things may have to be lost, but they are gains in my opinion. I didn't make sacrifices anymore. I didn't go to the country for my twice-a-year holiday just for my Facebook profile as many students with posts or sharing against that brutalism were arrested. I didn't know before that some goons were so loyal that they can sacrifice their humanity for the sake of the party. However, I have no regrets and no hope for them, may God give them wisdom.
I love to take the oxygen of the free air of the independent country and my last visit was so impactful in my heart as people are able to say anything against the unlawful things in the country. With a lot of challenges my country has started freshly under the command of Nobel laureate Prof. Yunus who is the founder of the Micro Economics and Social Business worldwide. He is also famous for his 3-zero idea that can change the whole world. And I hope he will change my country first and make it a truly democratic and prosperous one.
Thanks a lot for your time and attention, I will catch you at the next one.
Wish you a great day!
