Under a powerful movement that saw unity among Bangladeshi students and the mass people, Sheikh Hasina was forced to resign as prime minister on August 5, 2024. The shocking departure marks the end of her 15-year autocratic rule, making Sheikh Hasina the longest-serving (almost 21 years) prime minister in Bangladesh's history. From August 5, 2024, the military took temporary control, promising to investigate the violent crackdown and restore peace until a new interim government was formed.
Why did Sheikh Hasina resign and flee the country?
In April 2018, a similar student movement obliged the government to scrap the quota system altogether. The issue was settled when the then prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, declared in the national parliament that there would be no quota system in the public service recruitment process. But this was never placed into effect and in June 2024, Bangladesh's high court ruled that the end of the quota system was unconstitutional, thereby officially reinstating it.
Protesters initially reacted to this reinstatement of a 30% job quota for descendants of independence war veterans, which they described as a form of political patronage to supporters of the ruling party.
The protests, which began as a peaceful student movement against the government's job quota system, quickly escalated into a broader uprising against her administration after security forces and members of the Chhatra League violently attacked protesters. The demonstrators criticized the government's corruption, human rights abuses, and questionable electoral practices.
As the situation worsened, with hundreds of people losing their lives in clashes and over 11,000 arrests, the military intervened, leading to Hasina's resignation.
Looking back, questions still arise as to why the Hasina government had not taken strategic initiatives since 2018 to finalize her declaration over the quota diminution decision by amending the law in the national parliament while her party had a two-thirds majority. Also, why her party's second man, the general secretary, Obaidul Quader, stated that “our student and youth wings, Chhatra and Jubo League, are strong enough to control this massive student movement.”
Hasina could have avoided all this by using political strategy instead of slandering students. She was determined to preserve her stubborn character and attitude. She was uncompromising on the quota issue and escalated the protests. Eventually, she stepped down from her prime ministership with disreputable directors, destroying her political career and Bangladesh's long-standing political party’s future.
Manipulated election process
The former Hasina government in Bangladesh has also faced numerous allegations of corruption throughout its tenure, which contributed significantly to the public's growing discontent and, ultimately, her resignation.
Hasina's government was accused of rigging elections to maintain power. The 2014, 2018, and 2024 elections were particularly controversial, with reports of widespread voter suppression, intimidation, ballot-stuffing, and mainly for a one-sided dummy election.
The opposition claimed that since 2014, the polls were neither free nor fair, severely undermining public trust in the government. Through election engineering and manipulation, she wanted to remain in power. She appointed her favoured personnel in the election commission to manipulate elections in her favour.
Hence, public agitation was spurred due to the lack of democracy and voting rights for three consecutive terms in Bangladesh.
Nepotism
There were widespread claims that Hasina's government engaged in nepotism, favouring family members and close associates in the allocation of government contracts and other lucrative opportunities. Many of her family members became members of parliament and city mayors and possessed lucrative political posts at the country and international levels.
This practice was seen as part of a broader pattern of cronyism that enriched a small elite at the expense of the general population.
The protests, which began as a peaceful student movement against the government's job quota system, quickly escalated into a broader uprising against her administration
Collapse of the banking sector
Several high-profile scandals have involved embezzlement of public funds, where government officials are accused of embezzling money for public projects. For example, there have been allegations of corruption in managing funds for large infrastructure projects such as the Padma Bridge.
Not only that, but the country’s banking system has also completely collapsed due to the extreme looting of money from public and private banks and the stock market in the last few years. A significant amount of cash was transferred from Bangladesh illegally to Western and Middle Eastern countries, including the Swiss Bank, which has put Bangladesh in a financial crisis now.
Destruction of the education sector
The education sector was another example of considerable mismanagement. The self-imposed study curriculum has had her government politicize the most outstanding achievement of the Bengali nation, which is the liberation war of 1971. The leak of SSC, HSC, and even Public Service Commission exam papers every year have turned education into a rote memorization process instead of a learning one.
Low chain of command in the police department
Public service institutions such as the police department were immensely polluted by greedy police officers and made unlimited black money by corruption. Still, the Hasina government took no measures to regulate those institutions. Instead, police were mainly used to control opposition parties.
Finally, in the July student movement, police illegally killed several protesters, primarily students, in the street, under what some say were direct orders, thereby violating the UN and ILO human rights conventions. That was the moment that sparked the revolution.
Media interruptions
The government was also accused of suppressing media and civil society organizations that tried to expose corruption. Journalists, activists, and opposition figures who criticized the government or exposed corruption were often harassed, detained, or silenced.
If she was aware of the opposition’s remarks about her and the political party’s activities, she would have been ratified and would not see this mess today. She was careless about social media and its message against her government.
The politicization of the judicial sector
Sheikh Hasina's government had been widely accused of politicizing Bangladesh's judiciary, which many say has undermined the judiciary's independence and the rule of law.
Judges perceived as sympathetic to the ruling Awami League have been promoted to key positions, while judges seen as independent or aligned with the opposition have been excluded. This raised concerns that the judiciary was being used to protect government interests rather than impartially adjudicate.
Hasina's government was accused of exerting undue influence in high-profile cases, particularly those involving opposition leaders or people critical of the government. Several cases against leaders of opposition parties, particularly the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), were speedily prosecuted, leading many to believe they were politically motivated.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), which is supposed to act independently, was often used to target political opponents. Critics argue that the ACC has targeted opposition members while ignoring allegations of corruption against the ruling party. This electoral exercise has been seen as a means of weakening the opposition and consolidating power.
There have been reports of intimidation and harassment of judges who make judgments unfavourable to the government. In some cases, judges who have ruled against the ruling party's interests have been transferred, demoted or forced to retire. This has created an atmosphere of fear within the judiciary, discouraging judges from acting independently.
Some cases against members of the ruling party have been postponed indefinitely, while cases against opposition figures have been expedited. This manipulation undermines the principle of equal treatment under the law and further politicises the judiciary.
Most notably, Surendra Kumar Sinha, the former Chief Justice of Bangladesh, left the country in 2017 under controversial circumstances. Several vital factors marked his departure. SK Sinha faced a lot of pressure from the Awami League government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, especially after ruling to abrogate the 16th Amendment to the Constitution. The amendment empowered the Parliament to remove judges, and its repeal was seen as an essential check on the executive's influence over the judiciary. The government strongly criticized the verdict, with some officials publicly attacking SK Sinha's integrity and questioning his patriotism.
The perception that the judiciary has become an extension of the executive branch has undermined public confidence in the legal system.
The former Hasina government in Bangladesh has also faced numerous allegations of corruption throughout its tenure
Suppression of opposition
The Hasina government's brutal view of political opposition has been marked by repression. Opposition leaders from different parties have been jailed, harassed and disqualified from elections, resulting in a lack of genuine political competition. She also used the state apparatus to suppress dissent, undermined the democratic process, and contributed to political instability.
The Dr Yunus issue
Nobel Peace Prize winner and founder of Grameen Bank, Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus, has strained relations with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government in Bangladesh, marked by significant political and legal conflicts.
In 2011, Hasina led the Bangladesh government from the position of managing director of Grameen Bank and removed Yunus. The government cited his age as the reason for his dismissal, as he was beyond the retirement age of government officials. However, many believe that the move was politically motivated and could threaten Hasina's political supremacy.
The Hasina government accused Dr Yunus for Grameen Bank's financial irregularities, particularly regarding the bank's handling of foreign funds. These allegations were highly controversial, and Yunus and his supporters saw them as an attempt to discredit his work and legacy. Hasina's rhetoric against Yunus is scathing, portraying him as an exploiter rather than a benefactor of the poor.
This open animosity further increased the tension between the two. In recent years, Dr Yunus has faced various legal challenges in Bangladesh, including tax-related cases and labour disputes involving Grameen Bank and its affiliated companies. Many perceived these legal issues as part of a broader campaign to tarnish his reputation and undermine his domestic and international influence.
The conflict between Dr Yunus and Hasina’s government has had implications for Bangladesh's international image, particularly concerning governance, freedom of speech, and respect for civil society. The treatment of Yunus has been cited as an example of the broader challenges facing individuals and organizations that criticized or operated independently from the AL government.
Foreign policy of the Hasina government
There was considerable scholarly and political debate about the Hasina government's closeness to India, and many believed that Hasina enjoyed power support in the last three terms, due to India's direct political support.
India is Bangladesh's largest neighbour with a long historical relationship, and the influence of India in Bangladesh is inevitable. However, India's unconditional support to the Hasina government made other countries, mainly Western countries, such as the United States, hostile in many ways.
On the other hand, India's economic interests, such as capital investment in infrastructure projects in Bangladesh and many Indians’ jobs in Bangladesh was of importance. Nevertheless, opposition parties, such as the BNP and other advocacy groups in Bangladesh, claim that Hasina blindly gave everything to India without considering Bangladesh's interests.
India takes billions of foreign remittances and revenues from Bangladesh every year, which is unbearable for the nation as Bangladeshis have no jobs and proper financial support from the government. At the same time, scholars and policy analysts say that there was no “Teesta River Agreement” during the last 15 years of Hasina's rule.
However, Hasina's clever play on India, China, and Russia drew serious attention from other countries that have long been Bangladesh's economic partners. Scholars still believe that the sudden and shocking fall of the Hasina government was India's most significant strategic failure in Southeast Asia.
Now, India must change its look at Bangladesh. India must establish its relations with the people of Bangladesh, not with a single party. India should also reinstate bilateral ties with the new interim and upcoming elected governments in Bangladesh. It is essential to understand that India and Bangladesh must work together and cooperate for economic, cultural and security at the regional and international levels.
Out of so many uncounted wilful mistakes, these notable points helped explain why Hasina’s government failed.
Dr ASM Anam Ullah (PhD) is an Australian academic, human rights activist, political analyst, and OHS and industrial relations expert. Read next part.