Support truly
independent journalism
Support Now
Our mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.
Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.
Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.
Louise Thomas
Editor
Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina is under fire for “shedding crocodile tears” over damage to a train station during protests against her government that left over 150 people dead.
Ms Hasina was seen wiping tears in pictures clicked during her visit to a metro station in Mirpur as social media users lambasted her for allegedly lacking empathy for the victims of violence.
Police fired rubber bullets, tear gas, and lobbed sound grenades to disperse tens of thousands of protesters who came out on the streets against job quotas. The government denied any live rounds were fired, but hospital sources said dead and injured people had wounds from bullets and shot gun pellets.
Rights groups and critics accuse Ms Hasina of becoming increasingly autocratic during her 15 years in power. They say her terms have been marked by mass arrests of political opponents and activists, forced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings. She denies all these charges.
"What kind of mentality leads them to destroy facilities that make people’s lives easier?” the leader was quoted as saying by the Business Standard during her visit to Mirpur.
“Dhaka city was clogged with traffic. The metro rail offered respite. I cannot accept the destruction of this transport facility made with modern technology,” she said of the station where ticket vending machines and signalling control stations were shattered.
The prime minister also toured the damaged section of Bangladesh Television (BTV), as she accused the protesters of trying to spoil “Bangladesh’s image abroad”.
Calling on the “people of this country” to help the government find those responsible for vandalism, she said: “Please help us find those who are involved, no matter what nook or cranny of the country they are in, and bring them to justice.”
“I say to citizens and Dhaka residents – those who are responsible for this suffering and destruction, who are today spoiling Bangladesh’s image abroad – I leave to you the responsibility of bringing them to justice,” she was quoted as saying by Bangladesh’s news portal BDNews24.com.
“The people must be the ones to bring those who create obstacles to the livelihoods of the public to justice because the only power in the country is the power of the people.”
Alleging that the protesters were spreading disinformation, she said: “Do not allow them to stir unrest by spreading fake propaganda. Everyone must know the truth. They are still making calls from London, trying to ruin the country’s honour and stir up expatriates around the world.”
On Thursday, as she toured the sites that were damaged during the protests, lamenting the vandalism and attack on public infrastructure, social media users outraged over her comments.
“We lost 200+ students. Students who are called the future of a nation. Students who were only fighting for their own rights,” wrote a user on X. “But PM Sheikh Hasina had the time to go watch and ‘cry’ for a metro rail, not for the people who won’t return ever again.”
“It was the funniest thing I saw yesterday! Lmao she deserves an award for acting this hard and shedding crocodile tears!!!!” wrote another user.
The protest began after students took to the streets demanding an end to a quota system that reserves up to 30 per cent of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s war of independence in 1971 against Pakistan.
The protests began late last month but tensions escalated last week when students at Dhaka University, the country’s largest, clashed with police and a counter-protest inflamed the situation. The students alleged the protests were peaceful until the student wing of the ruling Awami League Party attacked the protesters.
Badiul Alam Majumdar, the secretary of Shushahoner Jonno Nagorik, a Dhaka-based civil society platform for good governance, said the protests were "just the tip of the iceberg" and the use of force against students will breed further discontent against Ms Hasina’s government.
"People are being deprived of their basic rights, with a significant lack of human rights and justice. They can’t cast their votes freely," he said. "This widespread frustration and anger among the people is evident in the protests.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
