History of Bangladesh
Bangladesh officially known as the People’s Republic of Bangladesh is an independent nation located in South Asia. It makes up the eastern and largest portion of the ethnolinguistic region of Bengal. It is situated at the zenith of the Bay of Bengal and is bordered by Myanmar and India, and separated from Bhutan and Nepal by the thin Siliguri Corridor. Present-day Bangladesh came out as a sovereign country in 1971 after breaking away and gaining independence from Pakistan in the Bangladesh liberation war. Its early history was characterized by internal fighting, a succession of Indian empires, and a scuffle between Buddhism and Hinduism for dominance. The borders of modern Bangladesh were formed after the partition of India and Bengal on August 1947, when the area became East Pakistan as a section of the newly established State of Pakistan following the Radcliff Line. The name Bangladesh was initially written as two words, Bangla Desh. Bangla is a keyword for both the Bengali language and the Bengal region. The exact origin of the term is, however, not known. Below, some of the key events in the history of Bangladesh have been explained in brief.
Bangladesh War of independence
On 23 March 1971, the Bangladeshi flag was raised for the first time. Operation Searchlight was, however, launched on 26 March 1971 by the Pakistani military junta who massacred Bengali politicians, students, intellectuals, military defectors, and civil servants during the 1971 Bangladesh genocide.
During the liberation war, Bengali locals proclaimed a declaration of independence and created the Mukti Bahini, the Bangladeshi National Liberation Army. During the war, the army held Bengali’s countryside and waged guerilla operations against the Pakistani forces. India offered support to the army during the war. The United States and the Soviet Union also sent naval forces to the Bengal Bay to offer support. The war lasted for nine months and it came to an end when the Pakistani military surrendered to the Bangladesh-India Allied Forces on 16th December 1971.
Signing of Independence
After gaining its independence, Bangladesh became a republic within the Commonwealth and a secular democracy. in 1973, Bangladesh joined the OIC and the Non-Aligned Movement, and later joined the United Nations in 1974.
In 1973, Bangladesh, Pakistan and India signed a tripartite agreement calling for stability and peace in the sub-continent. The government at that time was led by Mujib who was assassinated together with the majority of his family members on 15 August 1975. In the same year, two army uprisings took place and they led to a reorganized system of power.
In 1977, Lieutenant General Ziaur Rahman took over the presidency and in 1979 he restored civilian rule and reinstated multi-party politics. He formed the Bangladesh National Party and promoted free markets. He also reinstated the country’s foreign policy and sought out closer ties with the West. His tenure ended in 1981 when he was assassinated by the military. His successor was Abdus Sattar, whose tenure ended in less than a year.
Lieutenant General Hussain Muhammad Ershad was the country’s next big ruler and as president he pursued executive reforms, including a devolution scheme which partitioned the nation into 64 districts and 5 divisions. in 1985, he held the founding summit of SAARC in Dhaka, bringing together 7 South Asian nations, including the Maldives, Bangladesh, India, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, into a regional union. He also extended Bangladesh’s road network and began significant projects, for instance, the Jamuna Bridge. He reinstates civilian rule in 1986 and established the Jatiya Party.
In 1991, former first lady Khaleda Zia led the Bangladesh Nationalists Party and was elected as the first female Prime Minister in the country’s history.
The next general elections were held in 1996 and the Awami League led by Sheikh Hasina came back to power after 20 years. In 1999 the Sheikh held a trilateral summit between Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India and helped form the D8 grouping with Turkey. The League, however, lost power again to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in the 2001 election and Khaleda Zia was once again elected as the Prime Minister.
BNP’s tenure came to an end in October 2006 and a caretaker government led by President Iajuddin Ahmed worked to ensure that the parties would take part in the elections within ninety days. The Bangladesh Armed Forces intervened on 11 January 2007 so as to support a state of emergency and a neutral caretaker government under Chief Advisor Fakhruddin Ahmed. The Awani League won the 2008 general elections.
July Revolution (Bangladesh)
Background
After the Awami League was elected in the 2008 elections, they abolished the caretaker government system. After that, it won three more consecutive national elections. There were allegations of massive rigging in the national elections held in 2014, 2018 and 2024. Meanwhile, except for the 2018 election, the remaining two elections were boycotted by most political parties in Bangladesh. During this time, the government carried out massive torture and arrests on their opponents, the top leaders of the opposition parties were sidelined by sentencing them in various cases. At this time, dissemination of information in all media in Bangladesh was strictly regulated and freedom of public expression was strictly regulated through laws such as the Digital Security Act, 2018. Since taking office in 2009, Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League has largely failed to fulfill job creation promises. While the public sector has expanded with better pay and benefits, political influence determined access to these jobs.
During this period, the government was reported to have utilized law enforcement forces and Awami League affiliates, particularly the Chhatra League, to manage and suppress various movements, including non-political ones. Allegations of violence and repression involving the Chhatra League were reported on multiple institutions and university campuses. Over the last three terms, allegations of corruption, money laundering, declining reserves, and irregularities in the banking sector were raised against Awami League leaders at various levels of government. These issues were associated with rising living costs and growing public dissatisfaction.
Quota reform movement
In 2018, a mass movement was held in Bangladesh demanding quota reform in government jobs, led by the General Students’ Rights Protection Council. The main objective of this movement was to reform the ongoing quota system in Class I and II government jobs. Following the continuation of the agitation and pressure from the students, the government announced the abolition of the 46-year-old quota system.
However in 2021, seven children of freedom fighters, including Ahidul Islam, filed a writ petition in the High Court challenging this decision. Finally, on 5 June 2024, a High Court bench of Justice KM Kamrul Quader and Justice Khizir Hayat declared the decision to scrap the quota system invalid. Immediately after the announcement of the verdict, students started protesting against this verdict in various universities of the country.
Razakar slogans
On 14 July, during a press conference, Sheikh Hasina responded to a question about the protests stating –
“If the grandchildren of freedom fighters don’t get quota benefits, will those then go to the grandchildren of the Razakars? That’s my question to the countrymen.”
In response to Sheikh Hasina’s comment, in the early hours of 15 July, students began using slogans such as,
তুমি কে? আমি কে?
রাজাকার, রাজাকার।
কে বলেছে? কে বলেছে?
স্বৈরাচার, স্বৈরাচার!
‘Who are you? Who am I?
Razakar, Razakar.
Who said it? Who said it?
Autocrat, Autocrat!‘
Protesters argued that Hasina’s statement indirectly labelled them as “Razakars” and demeaned them for advocating for quota reform, which led them to adopt the slogan.
The movement became more intense in July, with students staging blockades including the “Bangla Blockade”. During this time, police used excessive force to quell the agitation led to clashes and a student named Abu Sayed was shot dead on 16 July , 2024 by the police in Rangpur. This incident intensified the movement and increased tension across the country.
After that, the movement across the country including Dhaka became violent and many casualties were caused by the attacks of law enforcement agencies, Chhatra League and Jubo League in various places. At this time, curfew was imposed across the country and the internet was shut down. The hearing date of the Appellate Division was later brought forward due to the agitation.
The anti-discrimination student movement gained momentum when private university students joined on July 16. In response to the escalating quota reform movement, the government mandated the closure of all educational institutions on July 16, 2024. Subsequently, on July 17th, students residing in dormitories at public universities across the nation, including Dhaka University, were compelled to vacate their accommodations. However, due to the permanent residency of a significant portion of private university students in Dhaka, their presence within the city noticeably increased on July 18.
On this date, a substantial confrontation occurred between law enforcement and students affiliated with Primeasia University BRAC University and East West University in the Rampura area. Simultaneously, students from AIUB, North South University, Independent University, Bangladesh, Dhaka International University and UIU staged demonstrations along Kuril Bishwa Road and Pragati Sarani. Concurrently, protests were initiated by students from Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology, Bangladesh University of Textiles, Southeast University in Mohakhali area and Northern University in the Uttara region.
Internet outage
To prevent the movement from spreading nationwide, government ordered the internet to be shut down across the country. The nationwide shutdown of Internet access begun on 18 July continued into 19 July.
Appellate Division Judgment
When the full judgment of the High Court was published on 14 July, leave to appeal was filed by the state and two students. Based on the application of Attorney General AM Amin Uddin on 18 July, the Chamber Court of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, Justice M Inayetur Rahim fixed the date of hearing the case on Sunday, July 21.
On 21 July, the Appellate Division reinstated the quota and quashed the judgment given by the High Court. At the same time, even though it is a policy-making matter for the government, in the interest of complete justice according to the constitution, the court ordered 93 percent merit-based recruitment in government jobs. On this day, for the first time in the history of Bangladesh, the proceedings of the Supreme Court were held under curfew.
Massacre
By early August 2024, the unrest resulted in a significant death toll. Initial official reports claimed 215 deaths, but a United Nations investigation later confirmed that at least 650 people were killed. In August, the Interim Government’s Health and Welfare Adviser, Nurjahan Begum, reported that over 1,000 individuals had been killed in the uprising and more than 400 students had lost their eyesight. Additionally, more than 20,000 were injured, and over 11,000 were arrested nationwide. Among the deceased were at least 32 children, according to UNICEF. The exact number of casualties remains uncertain due to government restrictions on information, including reports that hospitals were barred from sharing data, CCTV footage was confiscated, and some victims were buried without identification. As of September the death toll is over one thousand.
Non-cooperation movement
On 4 August, Following the start of the Non-cooperation movement, various left-wing organisations in Bangladesh took part in protests. The Proletarian Party of East Bengal for example began a graffiti campaign within the city following the fall of Hasina and the Awami League aimed at criticising the army and calling for an end to military rule. Other far-left student groups also took part in the revolution, such as the Revolutionary Student-Youth Movement, a Marxist-Leninist-Maoist organisation.
At least 97 people died nationwide in confrontations, shootings, and pursuits related to the Non-cooperation movement. Fourteen police officers were killed across the country, with 13 deaths occurring at the Enayetpur police station in Sirajganj. Another officer was killed in Eliotganj, Comilla. Twenty-seven police facilities were attacked and vandalized, and a hundred policemen were injured in these incidents, according to an official statement by the Bangladesh Polic.
In Dhaka, unidentified individuals set fire to and damaged various vehicles, including cars, ambulances, motorcycles, and buses, at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University during the protests. Around 4.30 p.m., eleventh-grade student Golam Nafiz was shot by the police in Dhaka Farmgate area, whose photo of being taken to the hospital on rickshaw went viral on internet, creating high outrage by netizens. By 12:00 p.m., users across the country reported internet inaccessibility. The government ordered the closure of Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram, and all other Meta-owned services, directing internet service providers to comply after 1:00 p.m.
The government declared a three-day general holiday starting from 5 August, during which banks will also remain closed. The Anti-Discrimination Students Movement confirmed their intention to march towards Dhaka on 6 August to demand the Prime Minister’s resignation. The Bangladesh University Teachers’ Network proposed a framework for an interim government, suggesting it be composed of teachers, judges, lawyers, and representatives from civil society, reflecting the views of various civil and political groups for a democratic transition.
Asif Mahmud, a coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Students Movement, announced that their march to Dhaka had been rescheduled to 5 August, instead of 6 August. He called on protesters and civilians nationwide to march toward the capital and participate in civil disobedience.
Several former Bangladesh Army officers, including former chief of staff Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan, held a press briefing urging soldiers to return to camps and refrain from getting involved in the political crisis or being used against civilians.
The Anti-discrimination Students Movement rejected the curfew and encouraged everyone to march towards the Ganabhaban and Prime minister’s office.
In the morning of 5 August 2024, units of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police and Armed Police Battalion would be sent to hold the Chankharpul area of Dhaka and disperse the approaching participants of the Long March to Dhaka, at first the police were firing tear gas, sound grenades, and rubber bullets. However, some like Md. Sujon Hossain, constable of the Armed Police Battalion, would fire live bullets indiscriminately at the protestors, leading to the deaths of seven people.
Reports indicated Sheikh Hasina had been moved to a secure location. On the same day, up to 135 people, including 24 police officers, were killed during protests.
Resignation of Sheikh Hasina
Hasina resigned on 5 August 2024, as large crowds of demonstrators surrounded the prime minister’s residence. Her resignation was announced by General Waker-uz-Zaman, the Chief of the Army Staff. Later that day, Hasina fled to India in a chaotic departure, first by car, then by helicopter, and finally by plane. She left with no resignation speech.
Hasina reportedly flew in a Bangladesh Air Force C-130 transport to Hindon Air Force base in Ghaziabad, India, where she was received by the Indian national security advisor Ajit Doval along with other senior military officials.
Fall of the government
Following the overthrow of the Awami League, the Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh organised a student assembly to meet with the interim government and consult on the policies of said government, meeting with parties like the BNP. While the Left Democratic Alliance held a conference on the 11th of August calling for the reconstitution of the Election Commission to initiate national parliamentary elections. The LDA called for “an immediate overhaul of the electoral system, including the introduction of a “no” vote option, recall of elected representatives failing to meet public expectations, and the adoption of a proportional representation electoral system.”
Interim government
The interim government was formed in Bangladesh, it sat with various political parties on the 5th of October meeting with the BNP, Jamaat, Gantantra Mancha, Left Democratic Alliance, Hefazat-e-Islam, and Islami Andolan attending.
Death toll
In January 2025, the interim government of Bangladesh published a gazette containing the initial finalized list of 834 recorded deaths. However, the actual number of casualties may be higher due to restrictions imposed by the previous government, which included barring hospitals from sharing data, confiscating CCTV footage, and burying some victims without proper identification.
Next Year, On 12 February 2025, The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights published a thorough report on the events that took place from 1 July to 5 August 2024, which suggested a death toll off 1,400.
Disinformation in India
Sensationalist Indian media outlets, especially those closely associated with the ruling party in India, the Bharatiya Janata Party, portrayed the mass uprising as an Islamist-backed military takeover of the countr purportedly orchestrated by India’s rivals, Pakistan (through its intelligence agency) and China. Following Hasina’s resignation, Indian media outlets discredited the student protestors by overemphasising on a solitary incident of one of the many protestors who vandalised the Ganabhaban flashing Hasina’s underwear in public.