This is where it all started 2 years ago
In a Nutshell:
- “Grandchildren of freedom fighters will not get quota, then will the grandchildren of Razakars get quota?” these exact words from ex-PM Hasina turned into a fight for merit-based jobs in Bangladesh during July 2024.
- Weeks of protests brought deaths, arrests, curfews, and an 11-day internet blackout only worsened things for Hasina's government,
- The Supreme Court cut the quota from 30% to 7%, but the movement had already changed the national conversation by then.
Why it Matters
What began as a fight for fair recruitment turned into a nationwide demand for justice and accountability. Deaths, mass arrests, and state violence deepened public anger. The movement exposed wider frustrations over corruption, inequality, and access to opportunities. Government crackdowns, curfews, internet restrictions, and arrests became defining moments of the crisis.
What we think
India stood by Hasina through years of creeping authoritarianism and reduced our democracy to stagecraft. Two years on, New Delhi still clings to its old script: stability over liberty, strategy over sentiment, betting, perhaps, that a quiet neighborhood matters more than a free one. This quote signifies the audacity Hasina achieved through India’s backing. It should also serve as a cautionary example for Tarique Rahman—or any future prime minister of Bangladesh, of what not to do.
