BCSNA condemns crackdown on student protestors

The Bangladeshi Communication Scholars in North America (BCSNA), a social media forum of Bangladeshi citizens, expressed deep concern over the recent government crackdown on student protestors. 

“We hereby demonstrate our solidarity with the student community of Bangladesh who have been rightfully protesting to reform the discriminatory quota system in government jobs and are now demanding justice for the deaths of unarmed civilians and ongoing legal harassment. We extend our support to the demands of the general students of Bangladesh, not just with their calls for restructuring an unfair quota system but also the emerging demands for broader political reforms and holding the perpetrators of the killings accountable,” the forum said in a statement.

While the Supreme Court of the country has ruled in favour of the student protestors’ demands, which still have to be implemented by the government in the months to come, the decision came too late, it added.

“… desperate measures further worsened the suffering and exacerbated fears and uncertainties both among the people within the country and within diasporic communities like ours, who couldn’t contact their families at home. As limited communication and mobility are now possible (as of July 24), horrific witness accounts of the carnage are unfolding, and it will continue to mire the future of democracy and political participation in the country. So far, instead of accepting responsibility and firing the executives in power, the government, in its usual fashion, has denied any wrongdoing and blamed the opposition political parties and even social media for the mayhem. This is deplorable,” the statement reads.

In retrospect, the tradition of student organising and movements is long standing in the history of Bangladesh. Due to the sacrifices made by student protestors in 1952, Bangla was recognized as an official language of the state. Student protestors played important roles in subsequent national movements, which eventually culminated in the 1971 war for liberation, resulting in the free nation of Bangladesh, it added. 

“Even after liberation, student protests have time and again raised important questions against systemic oppression in Bangladesh. Examples of the Protests for Road Safety and the No VAT on Education Movement are well documented…Consequently, the student protest now has turned into a broader movement against autocratic oppression, corruption, and social injustices. We support it wholeheartedly.”

“As community members of BCSNA, we strongly believe in the ethos of fairness, equity, justice, and equal opportunity, and therefore express deep concern for the safety and well-being of the students protesting for these values of a just and equitable Bangladeshi society.  We heavily criticise and denounce the Bangladeshi government and its administration for the mishandling of the student protest that resulted in the death of innocent civilians. We implore international communities against authoritarian oppression to utilise all available avenues to pressure the Bangladeshi government to cease these egregious acts of violence immediately. Furthermore, we urge you to hold the executive body of the government accountable under international legal standards and humanitarian law for these atrocities and crimes against humanity. We stand in unity with the protesting students and the general public of Bangladesh and demand justice for each and every student protester who has been killed by order of the government and call for the resignation of the responsible culprits in power,” said the statement.