During the Awami League regime, one of the gravest allegations against the ruling party and its associate bodies was that its members used to take the liberty to check the phone messages and galleries of passengers and pedestrians.
There were incidents when people were handed over to the police just because their social networking accounts were disliked by the hooligans.
Some even recall being assaulted physically.
Experts term such behaviour undemocratic and say that these acts directly interfere with one’s freedom of speech and privacy. As a result, such acts by ruling party men were heavily criticized across all spheres.
Barguna Awami League leader held after viral phone call with HasinaSuch incidents were reported in 2013 when members of Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh began a march towards Dhaka. Similarly, students were harassed during the 2018 quota movement and BNP leaders during their Dhaka rally in 2022. The most recent events of frisking pedestrians and checking their phones take us back to July 2023 during a BNP movement to oust the government.
However, the Anti-discrimination Student Movement wanted, among many things, an end to this harassment and abuse of one’s freedom of speech.
But within just 10 days of the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government, there are indications that freedom of speech and privacy of the people are not being upheld by the students. People's mobile phones are being searched in the capital now. Even journalists have had to face obstacles in taking pictures of these incidents. They were even asked on loud speakers not to take pictures. Netizens are now becoming vocal against such behaviour. They say such behaviour on the part of those who want to bring about change will surely go against freedom of expression and freedom of movement.
Such incidents were reported across the country on Thursday in observance of the 49th death anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The day was a public holiday throughout the AL regime and was observed amid various programs. However, the new government cancelled the previously enjoyed public holiday on August 15 within 10 days of coming to power.
Bangabandhu’s Dhanmondi 32 residence, where he and his family members were assassinated, was set on fire on August 5, 2024. Even so, Sheikh Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, called on Awami League partymen to observe the day and throng Dhanmondi 32 to mark the day. Sheikh Hasina also made a similar urge to her partymen through a Facebook post.
However, the coordinators of the student movement accused the AL, Chhatra League, and Jubo League of trying to stage a counter-coup centring on August 15. They announced they would resist such attempts by the AL.
On Wednesday evening, there was an attack on a group of people who went to Dhanmondi 32 to pay tribute to Bangabandhu. Since then, the students and Chhatra Dal leaders have taken positions on the road and in the adjacent areas.
To control the situation, the army was also stationed there. Barbed wire was also in place.
To some people’s astonishment, those taking positions on Dhanmondi 32 were seen dancing to the tune of Hindi songs.
Netizens came down hard on the students of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, saying that the freedom to express one’s grief cannot be taken away. Even on Thursday morning, when supporters of the AL and a large number of general people were expected to throng Dhanmondi 32 to pay tribute to Bangabandhu, the students were seen armed with sticks and bamboos. They blocked the entrance to the road and beat up several people.
Everyone who went through the area or wanted to use the road was stopped and questioned. Their identity cards were checked along with their mobile phones. The case was even worse for those wearing black clothes. A loud speaker was used to issue instructions to beat up suspected AL members. Even some people tried to take away the phones of Dhaka Tribune journalists who were on the spot and trying to take pictures. These people also held 30 people in and around Dhanmondi on Thursday.
Personnel of the Bangladesh Army later rescued the 30 individuals from New Model Degree College in the area.
Earlier in the morning, pedestrians located a vandalized car on the spot. Many said that the students had vandalized the vehicle suspecting its owner to be an AL leader.
Article 12 of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights states: "No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy or his home, family and correspondence, or to his reputation and honour."
Article 43 of the Bangladesh Constitution also states: “Every citizen shall have the right, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interests of the security of the State, public order, public morality or public health—(a) to be secure in his home against entry, search and seizure; and (b) to the privacy of his correspondence and other means of communication.
