INDIA MUST RETHINK POLICY ON BANGLADESH

Muhammad Nahid Islam was the central coordinator of Students Against Discrimination, formed during the nationwide agitation against quota-based recruitment for government jobs in Bangladesh.

- BY NAMRATA BIJI AHUJA

He was at the forefront of the movement as it turned into a larger platform for students protesting against the Sheikh Hasina government. When an interim government took over under the leadership of Dr Muhammad Yunus after Hasina's ouster, Nahid joined it as an adviser. He now serves as the convener of the students-led National Citizen Party. In an exclusive interview with THE WEEK, Nahid says his party wants the next elections to usher in not only a new government, but also fundamental constitutional changes. Excerpts:

Q What were the challenges you faced during the July uprising?

A Bangladesh was under an authoritarian regime for 15 years. It was a fascist government where people had no freedom of expression or democratic rights. Elections were rigged, dissent was crushed and protesters arrested. Torture cells were set up in universities. Our movement began as a non-political quota reform protest, but the anger had been building since 2018, especially when quotas were reinstated through the courts. Students were furious.

The movement began organically. Initially, there was no obstruction, but the government refused to acknowledge our demands. As the protests gained public support, the Chhatra League, which is the ruling party's student wing, resorted to violence. They targeted female students first, especially those leading the protests in Dhaka University, followed by attacks in other universities like Jahangirnagar, Rajshahi and Chittagong. When people responded to these attacks, police opened fire, and students were martyred. We called for a complete shutdown. Students from private universities and madrasas, too, joined us.