Recently, a video has been circulating on Facebook and YouTube, where a woman is seen to be in a heated argument with an army officer. The woman is Farzana Sithi, and she was later subjected to vicious trolling on the internet.
Farzana Sithi is from Jessore. She is associated with an international voluntary organization “The Hunger Project, Bangladesh.” Belonging to the batch of 2019-20 of Government College of Applied Human Sciences, Farzana Sithi was a prominent figure of the Bangladeshi Anti-Discrimination Students’ movement.
In July another video of her went viral on Facebook. Here, she is seen challenging the police all by herself during the protest. Hundreds of people shared the video praising Farzana whilst giving her nicknames such as “Tigress,” “Queen,” “Iron lady” and declaring her to be the embodiment of female empowerment in Bangladesh.
Then in August 16, 2024, a new video spread all over the internet where the same Farzana is seen to be in the middle of a quarrel with an army officer, Captain Ashiq. This video circulated from the Shahbagh, where a group of university students had taken an alleged rapist to file an official writ confession in the Shahbagh Police Station.
Despite the students’ outcry, the police delayed the process for four hours and eventually the army intervened. According to the army, they were deployed for the protection of the police station, but according to the students, the army was present for the protection of the rapist. The video clip of the argument between the army officer and Farzana Sithi shows the part where Farzana is protesting against a rapist receiving military protection.
Nevertheless, this clip was taken out of context as Farzana being disrespectful to a man in uniform. While Captain Ashiq received praise for being “professional” and “patient,” and even awarded a “Sena Gourab” padak by the army chief, Farzana was bullied relentlessly on the internet. The same fiery attitude that earned Farzana the title of “Queen” during the student protests was now deemed uncivil. Countless memes emerged all over Facebook making a mockery of Farzana.
The video clip of the argument between the army officer and Farzana Sithi shows the part where Farzana is protesting against a rapist receiving military protection
The trolling took a quick turn with Farzana turning into a victim of misogyny, with her getting doxed and her character brought into question. A picture of her smoking a cigarette caused a significant stir amongst people, as people deemed it inappropriate for a woman to be smoking, hence inviting misogynistic slurs against Farzana. Farzana’s choice of clothing was also attacked, her saree and tip being considered improper in the court of opinions.
The double standards that Farzana has faced is unfortunately not new in Bangladesh. In a study published by Monash University and UN Women, “Misogyny & violent extremism in Bangladesh: Implications for preventing violent extremism,” it is stated that “The use of threats and violence to force women out of the public sphere is a significant part of the way women’s behaviours and mobility are controlled, effectively precluding women from meaningfully participating in leadership and decision-making roles.”
So, it is no surprise that Farzana Sithi was judged based on the fact that she is a woman, rather than on her behaviour or reasoning itself. On August 18, Farzana Sithi issued an apology to the people and the army officer for the way she acted via her official Facebook page.
But what about our actions? After rallying so strongly for anti-discrimination in this country, we have proceeded by amplifying the voices of internet trolls, celebrating a man for doing nothing, and by vilifying a woman for demanding swift justice against a rapist. Is this really an accurate reflection of our values as we move forward in this new nation?
SM Sharmin Jahan is an intern at Dhaka Tribune.