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The Guardian
3 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘Because of women it became a people's revolution': what has changed one year on from Bangladesh's student uprising?
On 5 August 2024, Sheikh Hasina resigned as prime minister of Bangladesh and fled the country, the culmination of a student uprising that saw the most widespread participation of women in street protests in Bangladesh's history. Armed with sticks and stones, Bangladeshi women headed marches and stood defiant against riot police and the military. Their presence became a defining image of a revolution that has rewritten Bangladesh's political and social narrative. The uprising led to the establishment of an interim government under the Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus, which has focused on stabilising the country. But in the wake of the political shift, many women still feel they are not being heard. In May, thousands joined the Women's March for Solidarity demanding the government take action to ensure women's rights and safety. Here, five Bangladeshi women share their experiences of what life has been like for them over the past year, and suggest the changes they think need to be made. When Umama Fatema persuaded a group of fellow female students at Dhaka University to leave their dormitories to join one of the protests last year, she had no idea how far things would go. 'Everything happened so quickly and soon the uprising spread to every corner of the country,' says Fatema, a student activist and key coordinator of the July protests. 'It is because of women that the movement became a people's revolution. Without women, none of it would have been possible.' But one year on, Bangladesh's student movement has fractured and optimism is waning. 'The movement raised important questions regarding governance, accountability and women's rights, which remain unresolved,' Fatema says. 'Instead of addressing them, people have focused on forging their own political paths.' Fatema says that after a while, the atmosphere became so toxic that women's participation in the movement quickly began to drop. Until recently, she was the spokesperson for Students Against Discrimination, the organisation that spearheaded the student revolution. 'If women are included merely as tokens, they hold no real power,' says Fatema. 'As a result, issues like rape and sexual harassment are not given proper attention by the state because within the existing power structure of Bangladesh, women are still considered secondary.' Fatema argues that the interim government's lack of decisive action has led to growing public frustration. 'People expected swift justice, but the process has moved too slowly,' she says. 'All this talk about reform and justice for the dead now feels like empty promises.' Shompa Akhter has worked in Bangladesh's garment industry for nearly two decades. In her village in Kushtia, western Bangladesh, there are few opportunities for women, so like many, she moved to the capital in search of work. Employed at a factory on the outskirts of Dhaka, Akhter works long hours and earns roughly 15,000 taka (£90) a month – not nearly enough for her family to get by. 'The cost of everything has gone up – rice, lentils, vegetables, oil and gas – but our wages haven't kept pace,' says Akhter. 'My children's school fees are a constant worry. We skip nutritious meals just to cover that. And God help us if any of them falls ill! I often have to borrow money from family or loan sharks just to make ends meet.' Akhter recently took part in protests demanding higher wages and better working conditions for Bangladesh's 4.4 million garment workers, the majority of whom are women. The garment sector, considered the lifeblood of the country's economy, contributes $47bn (£35bn) annually, amounting to 82% of total export earnings. 'We garment workers keep the factories running and yet we are treated as disposable,' says Akhter. 'But our voices matter and we demand wages that reflect our labour and allow us to live with dignity.' 'Being a woman in Bangladesh still means fighting for your place – whether it's in your home, workplace or community,' Akhter adds. 'My dream is for my daughters to grow up in a country where they don't have to fight just to be heard. 'The government must bring us to the negotiating table. Women need to be involved at every level of decision-making if we want real, lasting change in Bangladesh.' When the transgender model Triaana Hafiz moved to Dhaka in 2023, she thought things might be different. Growing up in Khulna, south-west Bangladesh, she faced constant discrimination and harassment. 'I knew I was different and so did everyone else. I tried to keep my head down but society would not allow me to exist, even quietly,' says Hafiz. 'It got so bad, I thought about committing suicide on multiple occasions.' Sign up to Her Stage Hear directly from incredible women from around the world on the issues that matter most to them – from the climate crisis to the arts to sport after newsletter promotion Her big break came when she landed a modelling job in the capital. 'It wasn't easy but in Dhaka I felt I could finally start living my life as I truly am. I found a beautiful community of open-minded people who didn't question or belittle my identity as a transgender woman.' When the student protests broke out in 2024, Hafiz felt hopeful. 'The main motto of the revolution was that there would be no more discrimination,' she says. 'I am not so naive as to think this automatically applied to me. But I had hoped that this younger generation of leaders would be more tolerant and inclusive. 'If anything, in the past year, discrimination has gotten worse, with politicians openly spreading transphobic hate,' she says. Hafiz wants the interim government to incorporate the rights of people with diverse gender identities into new and reformed laws. 'Everyone in the new Bangladesh has the right to live with dignity and security,' she says. 'We need to be a country where diversity is celebrated, not just tolerated; one where everyone belongs, regardless of gender, sex, religion, ethnicity or class.' The Indigenous rights defender Rani Yan Yan hails from the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) in south-east Bangladesh, which has for decades been a site of ethnic conflict, violence from the military and Bengali setters, displacement and tension. The region has long had a significant military presence, which has been linked to human rights violations and the suppression of Indigenous rights, including killings, enforced disappearances, land confiscation and sexual violence against Indigenous women and girls. In 2018, Yan Yan was violently beaten by members of the security forces while helping two girls from her community who had been sexually assaulted. In May this year, an Indigenous woman, Chingma Khyang, was brutally gang-raped and murdered. 'This attack was typical of hundreds that have occurred over the years, where perpetrators have been granted impunity,' says Yan Yan. 'The interim government must immediately put an end to the culture of impunity that has long persisted in the Hill Tracts.' In June, human rights group Ain o Salish Kendra warned of a serious failure of the state to protect women and a breakdown in security. The organisation has urged the government to send a clear and firm message that such barbarity has no place in Bangladesh. 'There is still so much work to be done, but as a priority, we must ensure that the rule of law prevails in Bangladesh, with an open and democratic government that is accountable to all its citizens,' says Yan Yan. Samanta Shermeen was recently elected senior joint convener of the National Citizen party. . 'During the [July] uprising, we saw Bangladeshi women play an extremely active and powerful role. But since then, they have been systematically sidelined,' says Shermeen. 'If we can't give women the proper respect and recognition they deserve, the revolution would have been for nothing.' Earlier this year, she condemned attacks by radicals who vandalised a pitch ahead of a women's football match. 'It was a blatant act of misogyny and a violation of the principles that underpin Bangladesh's core values,' Shermeen says. 'Despite this, our women's national football team has just qualified for the final round of the Women's Asian Cup for the first time,' she says proudly. 'Bangladeshi women are unstoppable. The more you try to hold us back, the more determined we are to succeed. The revolution proved that – and it was only just the beginning.'
Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Labour MP Tulip Siddiq soon to be hauled into court in Bangladesh for over 'illegal land deal'
Former Labour anti-corruption minister Tulip Siddiq is to face trial in Bangladesh this month over allegations that she illegally received land from her aunt, the nation's ex-leader. The MP for Hampstead and Highgate is accused of having obtained plots from Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted as prime minister last year, through 'abuse of power and influence'. Bangladesh's new government has been investigating claims that her family embezzled up to £3.9billion from infrastructure spending. The nation's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) accuses Ms Siddiq of obtaining a 7,200 sq ft plot of land in the Purbachal diplomatic zone of the capital, Dhaka. Prosecutor Mir Ahmed Ali Salam claimed she 'influenced her aunt to get land properties for family members'. On Thursday, two Bangladeshi courts indicted her and 26 others, including her aunt – who fled to India after being deposed – family members and officials. Mr Salam said that if Ms Siddiq was found guilty, Bangladesh authorities were likely to submit an Interpol Red Notice for her arrest, which would prove embarrassing for Sir Keir Starmer. Ms Siddiq insists she is the victim of an orchestrated campaign against her, and accused interim leader Muhammad Yunus of 'interfering with UK politics'. Her spokesman did not respond to questions about whether she would travel to Bangladesh to stand trial on August 11. Ms Siddiq, whom the ACC also accuses of money laundering and benefiting from a nuclear power deal with Russia, quit as a minister in January after an official investigation found her family's links with the ousted Bangladeshi regime exposed the Government to 'reputational risks'. She had referred herself to the Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards after it emerged that she had lived in London homes linked to her aunt. Her lawyer, Paul Thwaite, said: 'Ms Siddiq has not received any official communication from the court and has never owned any plot of land in Purbachal.'
Sky News
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News
Ex-minister Tulip Siddiq's lawyer denied information about Bangladesh case, Sky News understands
Former anti-corruption minister Tulip Siddiq's lawyer was denied any information about the case against her in Bangladesh, Sky News understands. Ms Siddiq resigned earlier this year over accusations she illegally received a plot of land in a new high-end development on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital, from her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted as prime minister last year. Bangladesh's anti-corruption commission (ACC) claims the Labour MP received a 7,200sq ft plot in the diplomatic zone through "abuse of power and influence". However, Sky News understands an article published on Thursday morning saying the Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate will face trial in Bangladesh over the allegations is the first Ms Siddiq had heard of it. A source close to Ms Siddiq told Sky News her lawyer was in court every day last week to request information, but was denied it. The report in the Daily Telegraph said that if the MP refuses to attend court in Bangladesh on 11 August, a trial will be held in her absence. It is understood she will not be at the court then. Ms Siddiq's lawyer said: "For nearly a year now, the Bangladesh authorities have been making false allegations against Tulip Siddiq. "Ms Siddiq has not been contacted or received any official communication from the court and does not and has never owned any plot of land in Purbachal. "This longstanding politically motivated smear campaign has included repeated briefings to the media, a refusal to respond to formal legal correspondence, and a failure to seek any meeting with or question Ms Siddiq during the recent visit by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to the United Kingdom. "Such conduct is wholly incompatible with the standards of a fair, lawful, and credible investigation. "In light of these facts, it is now time for the Chief Adviser and the ACC to end this baseless and defamatory effort to damage Ms Siddiq's reputation and obstruct her work in public service." The ACC and Professor Yunus' press secretary have been contacted for a comment. 1:33 Last month, Ms Siddiq accused Bangladesh's interim leader, Nobel Prize-winning economist Professor Muhammad Yunus, of conducting an "orchestrated campaign" to damage her reputation and "interfere with UK politics". In a legal letter seen by Sky News in June, the MP also said comments made by Professor Yunus in a Sky News interview have prejudiced her right to a fair investigation, meaning the corruption inquiries should be dropped. The interim leader, who took over after Ms Hasina was ousted last year following violent protests, said Ms Siddiq "has so many (sic) wealth left behind here" and "should be made responsible". Professor Yunus' press secretary said he and the ACC "has no reason and scope to interfere in UK politics". "The Anti-Corruption Commission relies not on hearsay but on documentary evidence and witness testimony," they said.
Telegraph
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Tulip Siddiq to face corruption trial in Bangladesh
Tulip Siddiq will face trial in Bangladesh over allegations she illegally received a plot of land from her despot aunt's government. The former anti-corruption minister, who was forced to resign earlier this year after the accusations, has been ordered to attend the trial linked to one of the largest housing projects in the country. Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) believes the former City minister received a 7,200 sq ft plot in the diplomatic zone of Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital, through 'abuse of power and influence'. If she refuses to attend court on Aug 11, the trial will be held in her absence. The ACC has opened several investigations into Ms Siddiq, alleging corruption in connection with the government of Sheikh Hasina, her aunt who was ousted as the country's prime minister last year. But Ms Siddiq has claimed she is the victim of an 'orchestrated campaign' and accused interim leader Prof Muhammad Yunus of 'interfering with UK politics'. Judge Muhammad Rabiul Alam, of Dhaka Special Judge Court-4, issued the court order on Thursday against 27 people, including Ms Siddiq, Ms Hasina and other family members, as well as several current and former officials of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works. Judge Alam said the charges related to alleged irregularities in plot allocation under the Purbachal New Town Project operated by the government agency RAJUK. As none of the accused are in the country, the judge could not read out the charges to them. A court date of Aug 11 has been set for the start of the trial. All of the accused have been ordered to attend, but if they do not, a trial will be held in their absence. It is unclear if Ms Siddiq will attend. She has not appeared at any of the pre-trial hearings so far, despite being ordered to do so on July 8 and July 20. The court had also previously issued an arrest warrant against Ms Siddiq in April. All claims denied Lawyers representing Ms Siddiq said: 'For nearly a year now, the Bangladesh authorities have been making false allegations against Tulip Siddiq. Ms Siddiq has not been contacted or received any official communication from the court and does not and has never owned any plot of land in Purbachal. 'This longstanding politically motivated smear campaign has included repeated briefings to the media, a refusal to respond to formal legal correspondence, and a failure to seek any meeting with or question Ms Siddiq during the recent visit by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to the United Kingdom. Such conduct is wholly incompatible with the standards of a fair, lawful, and credible investigation. 'In light of these facts, it is now time for the Chief Adviser and the ACC to end this baseless and defamatory effort to damage Ms Siddiq's reputation and obstruct her work in public service.' An ACC official said the court had given adequate opportunities to Ms Siddiq and others to defend themselves, but they chose not to attend the court hearings. The corruption in the plot allocation is part of a wider investigation into the alleged unlawful allocation of state-owned land to Ms Hasina, the ousted prime minister of Bangladesh, her children and close relatives. The case is separate from a £4bn embezzlement investigation by the ACC into a nuclear deal struck by Ms Hasina, in which Ms Siddiq had also been named. The ACC has also alleged Ms Siddiq illegally acquired a flat and then used forged signatures in an attempt to transfer it to Azmina Siddiq Ruponti, her sister. Investigators claim Ms Siddiq made the transfer to become eligible for a plot in the Purbachal New Town Project, which she later obtained. Under Bangladesh's Allotment of Land Rules, applicants for the scheme must not own any residential property or land in Dhaka.
Times of Oman
a day ago
- Politics
- Times of Oman
Year since Hasina fled, rights challenges abound in Bangladesh, says HRW
Dhaka: The interim Bangladesh government of Mohammed Yunus is falling short in implementing its challenging human rights agenda, a year since tens of thousands of people took to the streets to successfully depose their authoritarian government, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Thursday. Some of the fear and repression that marked Sheikh Hasina's Awami League Party's 15-year rule, and abuses such as widespread enforced disappearances, appear to have ended. However, the interim government has used arbitrary detention to target perceived political opponents and has yet to deliver systemic reforms to protect human rights, HRW said in a statement. "The hope of the thousands who braved lethal violence a year ago when they opposed Sheikh Hasina's abusive rule to build a rights-respecting democracy remains unfulfilled," said Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "The interim government appears stuck, juggling an unreformed security sector, sometimes violent religious hardliners, and political groups that seem more focused on extracting vengeance on Hasina's supporters than protecting Bangladeshis' rights." Eleven reform commissions established in 2024, as well as the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and both Bangladeshi and international human rights activists, have submitted detailed recommendations to the interim government that are still pending. Meanwhile, the government is facing enormous challenges, including an alarming surge in mob violence, political violence, and harassment of journalists by political parties and other non-state groups, such as religious hardliners hostile to women's rights and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. On July 26 and 27, a mob damaged at least 14 homes belonging to members of the Hindu minority in Rangpur district, and there are continuing violations against minority communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Hasina fled Bangladesh on August 5, 2024, following five weeks of protests which killed 1,400 people, according to the UN. The interim government led by Yunus, a Nobel laureate, was established on August 8. But continuing torture and deaths in custody highlight the urgent need for security sector reform. On July 16, violence involving security forces and supporters of Hasina's now-banned Awami League killed five people in the town of Gopalganj after the National Citizens Party, formed by students who had participated in last year's popular movement, held a rally there. In what appears to mirror the partisan actions of the past, police later arbitrarily detained hundreds of alleged Awami League supporters and filed ten murder cases against over 8,400 mostly unnamed people. The government denied carrying out "mass arrests." Between August 6 and September 25, 2024, police lodged cases against 92,486 people, most of them related to murder. Nearly 400 former ministers, members of parliament, and other Awami League officials have been named in over 1,170 cases, which also include hundreds of unnamed individuals. Materials provided to Human Rights Watch show that Mohammad Atiqul Islam, the former mayor of North Dhaka, has been detained since October 2024 in connection with at least 68 separate cases of murder or attempted murder during the 2024 protests. But 36 of these incidents occurred while he was outside the country. As in most other cases, the authorities have not filed charges. Detainees in other high-profile political cases have also cited baseless grounds for arrest, and accused the authorities of denying them medical care and bail. The first trial, with three defendants including Sheikh Hasina, who will be tried in absentia, is due to begin on August 3, but there is no apparent prospect of trials in many cases, and no evidence has been produced against many of those detained. Hundreds may have been arrested under the draconian Special Powers Act, which allows preventive detention and was used by the previous government to suppress dissent. In addition, over 8,600 people were reportedly arrested in a crackdown in February called "Operation Devil Hunt," many of them allegedly Awami League supporters. While it is vitally important to hold people accused of serious crimes accountable, many detentions of people allegedly connected to the Awami League appear to be arbitrary and politically motivated, Human Rights Watch said. Meanwhile, the government is prosecuting very few members of the security forces responsible for egregious violations under the Hasina government. In July, a spokesperson for the Bangladesh Police told the BBC that only 60 police officers had been arrested for their role in the deadly violence in July and August last year, an operation that involved dozens of police and military units, including the notoriously abusive Rapid Action Battalion. On August 27, 2024, the interim government formed a commission to investigate enforced disappearances during Hasina's rule, and on August 29, Bangladesh ratified the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. The commission, which has received over 1,800 complaints, has completed two interim reports, with another due in December. The commissioners told Human Rights Watch that they have collected significant evidence. But they said that security forces members have destroyed evidence, limited their cooperation, and are resisting efforts to hold accountable the alleged abusers, many of whom are still security agency members. Several senior figures implicated in these crimes were able to flee the country after the interim government came to power. The Yunus government also established 11 commissions to recommend legal and constitutional reforms in areas including the police, the judiciary, and women's rights. However, the interim government has not adopted them, and efforts to reach political consensus on a significantly reduced reform agenda have been slow. A crucial outstanding issue is ensuring women's full, equal, meaningful, and safe participation in all decision-making processes, in line with UN Security Council resolution 1325, including through the reformed electoral system. "To help protect human rights beyond its tenure, the interim government should end arbitrary detentions, including by ensuring that pretrial detention is an exception, not the rule. It should end impunity by supporting the prosecution of security force members accused of serious crimes; ensure the independence of the judiciary from the executive; begin security sector reform, including by disbanding the Rapid Action Battalion; and prioritise women's rights and women's full representation," HRW said. Foreign governments and the UN should support the interim government, Human Rights Watch said. This should include imposing targeted sanctions on alleged abusers. Other governments should prosecute individuals allegedly implicated in serious abuses who have left Bangladesh, including under the principle of universal jurisdiction. And they should make clear that Bangladeshi participation in UN peacekeeping operations is contingent on ensuring accountability for grave violations of international human rights law. "No one is in any doubt that Yunus's interim government faces enormous challenges, but more needs to be done now to ensure a real and lasting change in Bangladesh's human rights situation," Ganguly said. "Political parties, whose members have been victims of rights violations in the past, should support reforms to ensure that such crimes can never recur and support rights protections for all."
