By Nomeen Kassi
History is filled with many fatal uprisings and revolutions, each for different reasons, carrying different outcomes and lessons. The French Revolution shook the monarchs of Europe. Additionally, history is replete with anti-revolutionary movements and individuals like Klemens von Metternich of Austria, who aimed to uphold supremacy of monarchy and suppress revolutionary uprisings in Europe.
Despite these efforts, revolutions have always prevailed and succeeded. Revolutions are like fire; they start with a small spark and then spread quickly, covering a large area, completely changing everything their path. This is the nature of revolutions. They begin with a spark and spread quickly. A small uprising can transform into a revolution, completely changing the system. The recent uprising in Bangladesh is a perfect example. A protest against the system led to the prime minister and government’s overthrow.
Sheikh Hasina Wazed, the longest-standing prime minister of Bangladesh, confronted the protests from the student union. She is the daughter of Sheikh Mujib-ur-Rahman, who played a key role in the formation of Bangladesh in 1971. Initially, the anti-government protests began in July among university students. In the beginning, these were peaceful protests against the quota system in civil service jobs. Relatives of veterans from Bangladesh’s 1971 independence war occupied one-third of these jobs. Although most of the demands were met, these peaceful protests turned into wider and more violent demonstrations. During the state’s suppression, more than 300 individuals lost their lives in these uprisings.
According to the World Bank FY 2022-23), Bangladesh was one of the fastest-growing economies in South Asia the world, with a growth rate of 7.2% after the global pandemic. The GPD was growing positively, but the economic conditions of the people did not improve, and they were unable to produce the required jobs for around 18 million potential job seekers. The unemployment rate reached 5.1%. Additionally, there was a hike in inflation. As a result of this, students started their agitation, which later on turned violent and toppled the Hasina Regime, forcing her flee from her country.
Among quota issue, another reason for such unrest was the increasing corruption. The prime minister herself was facing the corruption allegations in particular and the government officials at higher ranks in general. While protests were largely due to the quota system, several grievances had built up against the government officials due to corruption allegations, bribery, nepotism, and money laundering charges. As the violence grew, the situation became more unstable and out of control.
The recent events in Bangladesh have had a massive impact on the region. The neighboring countries, such as India and Pakistan, face the same challenges and unemployment issues; therefore, the youth can be easily instrumentalized and mobilized by the political actors for their personal economic and political gains. With increasing technological advancement and the role of social media, the public is more aware of the political and social flux than ever before. Youth today politically more engaged and aware of the changing dynamics, therefore showing more involvement.
Bangladesh students’ uprising gives a sense of hope to the youth elsewhere, as they believe they can also bring about a change in the political arena and can be successful. The politicians of Pakistan today concentrate more on their youth followers, knowing the potential they carry. The political parties are trying to gain more youth support as the educated youth can create a sense of change. The unemployed, educated male youth have been historically the initiators of rebellions and uprisings.
Historically, Pakistani politics has been marked by student activism. Even before the partition of the subcontinent, educated male youth played a key role in the struggle for . After the partition, students participated in politics and were key actors in protests against the government. And withbeen ing with the emerging populist leaders. Such events in the neighborhood strengthen the Pakistani youth to stand against the political system and bad governance, which is alarming in the current political and security situations.
The issue arises when these students’ ideologies are unclear, leading them to blindly follow any charismatic leader, failing to address core issues causing political chaos in the country. They fail to address or suggest any political or social reforms. One of the reasons for this could be a lack of knowledge, exclusiveness, and less participation in students’ unions. As a result, students fail to develop and understand the political and social fabric. They are blank in ideology. However, it is impossible to maintain a social and political vacuum for students. The questioning youth is taking a key interest in the situation and demands change. They are the future leaders; hence, they play a significant role in shaping society and the political arena.
To avoid such situations and pseudo-revolutions, engaging the youth in a positive and fruitful way is essential to make them an asset to the country rather than an unwanted, unmanageable political burden. Students’ unions with negative mindsets need to be managed. The student unions based on ethnicities and sectarian basis are more volatile and deserve the attention of the state. For any positive change, they should be encouraged. These unions provide a platform for the youth to raise their voice and contribute to improving governance. Unfortunately, our ethnicity-based students’ union has taken the wrong direction of closing the gates of the institutions, promoting propaganda without ascertaining the truth, and shouting against the perceived wrongdoers.
With proper knowledge and guidance, youth can become an important asset to the country and a step towards change against corruption and bad governance. Pakistan can learn from Bangladesh’s experience, such as promoting youth engagement in politics and addressing corruption and unemployment.
Author: Nomeen Kassi – Research Assistant at Balochistan Think Tank Network, Quetta.
(The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of World Geostrategic Insights).