by Eugene Walker

A year ago in August, a massive student-led movement overthrew the dictatorial, deadly rule of Sheikh Hasina, who had been in power for some 15 years. (See “Can Bangladesh’s revolutionary process continue to deepen?” News & Letters.) Now, one year on, where does Bangladesh stand?

One measure might be seen in the coming trial in absentia of Hasina, who fled to India. She is charged with crimes against humanity for unleashing massive police repression of demonstrations resulting in the deaths of more than 1,400 protesters.

An election is scheduled for next year to replace the interim government of Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus. But perhaps this too is only a partial view of Bangladesh today.

WOMEN ACTIVISTS SPEAK

Women participating in last year’s student protests. Photo: Mehedi Hasan, free use.

Recently interviews on the present moment have been published with several women activists that can give us a sense of Bangladesh one year after the overthrow of Hasina’s rule. The student protests had the most widespread participation of women in street protests in Bangladesh’s history. This past May thousands joined the Women’s March for Solidarity, demanding the government take action to ensure women’s rights and safety. Below are brief excerpts of interviews with two of the activists. (For the full interviews see The Guardian, “Because of women it became a people’s revolution.”)

Umama Fatema persuaded a group of female students at Dhaka University to leave their dormitories and join one of the protests last year:

Everything happened so quickly and soon the uprising spread to every corner of the country. It is because of women that the movement became a people’s revolution. Without women, none of it would have been possible. The movement raised important questions regarding governance, accountability and women’s rights, which remain unresolved. If women are included merely as tokens, they hold no real power. 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.

Shompa Akhter worked in Bangladesh’s garment industry for nearly two decades. She 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 cost of everything has gone up—rice, lentils, vegetables, oil and gas—but our wages haven’t kept pace. 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. We garment workers keep the factories running and yet we are treated as disposable. 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,

Clearly, if women are asked, Bangladesh has a long way to go, also shown by the fact that the Women’s March for Solidarity held in May was attended by thousands—marching for their safety, for their rights, for freedom to be who they are and who they want to become.