Gurjit Singh
Recent events in Bangladesh — protests, violence and the ouster of an elected government — bear an eerie resemblance to what happened in Sri Lanka in 2022. However, the results of the Sri Lankan protests and subsequent actions vary from the path Bangladesh has chosen.
What are the similarities? The Sri Lankan protests, emanating from economic distress, were led by a people’s movement, the Aragalaya. This seemed spontaneous and acquired traction, including quiet support from political parties. In Bangladesh, too, economic issues related to reservation in employment lit the spark. The diminishing economic resilience of Bangladesh was part of the problem. The student-led protests were not violent. As it was in Sri Lanka, they received support from parties and groups inimical to the ruling dispensation.
In Sri Lanka, the protests turned violent when the ruling party’s youth cadres were unleashed on the protesters. Similarly, in Bangladesh, the protests turned violent when the youth wing of the ruling party started attacking the protesters. Thereafter in Sri Lanka, the protest became one against all political parties and politicians. In Bangladesh, the assault was mainly on the ruling Awami League, its supporters, and minority groups. The ransacking of the leaders’ mansions was common in both countries. And, in both cases, an elected leader fled the country.
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