Sheikh Mujib’s daughter and Bangladesh’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina Wajed, has fled to India. Undoubtedly, she was a strong Prime Minister who ousted all her political rivals from politics. The elections held in Bangladesh in January did not receive much international acceptance, but she excluded all political parties from the elections and won by herself. She had undoubtedly established a civil dictatorship in Bangladesh.
No political party or leader led the public protests against Sheikh Hasina Wajed. No political leader can claim to have ousted her. The protests were initiated and led by the youth of Bangladesh who protested against the quota in government jobs allocated to the children of those who played a role in Bangladesh’s independence.
After the establishment of Bangladesh, a law was made that those who contributed to the country’s independence and their children would receive a 30% quota in jobs. Clearly, individuals affiliated with Sheikh Mujib’s political party qualified for this quota. The youth of Bangladesh opposed this quota system and campaigned for job distribution based on merit. They ran this campaign for their future and merit, not for any particular political party or leader.
In Pakistan, our friends in PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) tend to compare any public protest that leads to a change in government in another country with Pakistan. For instance, when public protests in Sri Lanka resulted in the government fleeing, PTI supporters claimed that Pakistan would soon follow suit. They frequently said that Pakistan would become like Sri Lanka, with people marching and forcing the rulers to flee. However, they did not understand the specific factors in Sri Lanka, simply assuming Pakistan would face the same outcome.
In Sri Lanka, people protested not due to a political leader’s call but because of the severe fuel shortage, lack of electricity, and shortage of medicines in hospitals due to default, making life difficult. In Pakistan, such conditions did not exist, but PTI supporters wished for Pakistan to become like Sri Lanka. However, this did not happen.
Recently, PTI supporters idealized Sheikh Mujib, posting his videos and presenting him as a hero. However, they now see the public’s hatred towards Sheikh Mujib in Bangladesh. This hatred is not from a single political party but from the public. The youth and people of Bangladesh hate Sheikh Mujib, with some even chanting slogans in favor of Pakistan and showing love for Pakistan.
PTI supporters, who once hailed Sheikh Mujib as a hero, now use the public protests and Sheikh Hasina Wajed’s escape to argue that no one can stand against public protests. However, they fail to understand the factors behind the protests in Sri Lanka and now in Bangladesh. After these protests in Bangladesh, the military took control, and the public welcomed the military. PTI supporters should also tell people that military control follows public protests, starting and ending with “My dear compatriots.” People also welcome the military.
If, unfortunately, conditions in Pakistan become like those in Bangladesh, the military will still take control. PTI supporters will lose even what they have gained. In Bangladesh, the military provided relief to Sheikh Hasina Wajed’s political opponents, reopening the offices of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh and releasing Khaleda Zia. PTI supporters might think they will receive relief if the military takes control in Pakistan, but instead, the trial for the May 9 incidents will begin, and decisions will be made soon.
In Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, public protests did not seek government permission or court approval. Public protests are not dependent on permission, and their results do not appear in a day. In Bangladesh, it took three months, with hundreds of deaths. On the last day, there were 135 deaths, over 11,000 arrests, and thousands of injuries, but the protests did not stop. PTI supporters, however, backed off after just one May 9 incident, with no one coming out the next day and fearing to come out since then. Such public protests cannot succeed this way.
PTI supporters also need to understand that expatriates played no role in the changes in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. It is essential to recognize that people outside the country cannot influence internal changes. The movements in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh occurred within the countries, while PTI relies heavily on expatriates.
It seems they are leading PTI, with policies not aligned with local conditions. Despite claims of popularity, they cannot mobilize the streets. PTI was neither able to run a prolonged public movement in the past nor can it do so now. Therefore, they can dream about public protests in other countries but are unlikely to lead such a movement themselves.