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Could Pakistan have a revolution like Bangladesh did in 2024? It's a scary question because people are unhappy and history shows us it's possible.
We can't know for sure, but looking at what happened in Bangladesh helps us understand what might cause a revolution in Pakistan. If the economy gets really bad, the government becomes unfair, and different regions feel ignored, things could get out of control.
This is a look at Pakistan right now, exploring what might cause a revolution and what it would mean for the country.
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Why is the Bangladeshi government facing so much anger?
Bangladesh is in turmoil.
Street protests are not new to this South Asian nation of 170 million people – but the violence that has unfolded in the last few weeks has been described as some of the worst in living memory.
Some 300 people have died so far according to news agency AFP, with at least 94 killed on Sunday alone, including 13 police officers - the worst single day casualty figure from any demonstrations in Bangladesh’s recent history.
Bangladeshi media and protesters say the police is largely responsible for the spiralling death toll. The government says that officers have only ever opened fire out of self-defence or to protect state property.
Now, thousands are calling for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina - who has ruled the nation since 2009 - to resign.
The government has responded by implementing an unprecedented nationwide curfew and continuing to cut off internet access in parts of the country.
How did the protests begin?
The protests, which have been ongoing since early July, began with peaceful demands from university students to abolish quotas in civil service jobs - a third of which are reserved for relatives of veterans from Bangladesh’s war for independence from Pakistan in 1971.
The campaigners had argued the system was discriminatory and needed to be overhauled, but although their demands were largely met, the protests have since transformed into a wider anti-government movement.
Ms Hasina remains defiant, describing those demonstrating against her administration as "terrorists who are out to destabilise the nation".
But the United Nations has called for an end to the "shocking violence" and urged restraint from Bangladeshi politicians and security forces.
"The government must cease targeting those participating peacefully in the protest movement, immediately release those arbitrarily detained, restore full internet access, and create conditions for meaningful dialogue," its human rights chief, Volker Türk said in a statement on Sunday.
With fresh marches planned to take place in the capital Dhaka, there are growing fears of further bloodshed.
What has turned into a nationwide campaign of civil disobedience has yet to show any signs of abating.
“It’s not students anymore, it seems that people from all walks of life have joined the protest movement,” Dr Samina Luthfa, assistant professor of sociology in the University of Dhaka, tells the BBC.
Why are people angry?
The protests have been a long time coming. Though Bangladesh is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, experts point out that growth has not translated into jobs for university graduates.
Estimates suggest that around 18 million young Bangladeshis are looking for jobs. University graduates face higher rates of unemployment than their less-educated peers.
Bangladesh has become a powerhouse of ready-to-wear clothing exports. The country exports around $40 billion worth of clothes to the global market.
The sector employs more than four million people, many of them women. But factory jobs are not sufficient for the aspiring younger generation.
Under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule, Bangladesh has transformed itself by building new roads, bridges, factories and even a metro rail.
Its per-capita income has tripled in the last decade and the World Bank estimates that more than 25 million people have been lifted out of poverty in the last 20 years.
But many say that some of that growth is only helping those close to Ms Hasina’s Awami League.
Dr Luthfa says: “We are witnessing so much corruption. Especially among those close to the ruling party. Corruption has been continuing for a long time without being punished.”
Social media in Bangladesh in recent months has been dominated by discussions about corruption allegations against some of Ms Hasina’s former top officials – including a former army chief, ex-police chief, senior tax officers and state recruitment officials.
In mid-July Ms Hasina promised she would act against corruption and acknowledged it as a long-standing problem.
During the same press conference in Dhaka, she said she had taken action against a household assistant after he allegedly amassed $34 million. She did not identify the individual.
The reaction of the Bangladeshi media was that this much money could only have been accumulated through lobbying for government contracts, corruption, or bribery.
The anti-corruption commission in Bangladesh has launched an investigation into former police chief Benazir Ahmed – once seen as a close ally of Ms Hasina – for amassing millions of dollars, allegedly through illegal means. He denies the allegations.
This news didn’t escape ordinary people in the country, who are struggling with the escalating cost of living.
In addition to corruption allegations, many rights activists point out that space for democratic activity has shrunk over the past 15 years.
“For three consecutive elections, there has been no credible free and fair polling process,” Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch, told the BBC.
“[Ms Hasina] has perhaps underestimated the level of dissatisfaction people had about being denied the most basic democratic right to choose their own leader,” Ms Ganguly said.
The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) boycotted elections in 2014 and 2024 saying free and fair elections were not possible under Ms Hasina and that they wanted the polls to be held under a neutral caretaker administration.
Ms Hasina has always rejected this demand.
Rights groups also say more than 80 people, many of them government critics, have disappeared in the past 15 years, and that their families have no information on their whereabouts.
The government is accused of stifling dissent and the media, amid wider concerns that Ms Hasina has grown increasingly autocratic over the years. But ministers deny the charges.
“The anger against the government and the ruling party have been accumulating for a long time,” says Dr Luthfa.
“People are showing their anger now. People resort to protest if they don’t have any recourse left.”
How has the government reacted?
Ms Hasina’s ministers say the government has shown extreme restraint despite what they describe as provocative actions by protesters.
They say demonstrations have been infiltrated by their political opposition and by Islamist parties, who they say initiated the violence.
Law Minister Anisul Huq said the government was open to discussing the issues.
“The government has been reaching out to the student protesters. When there is a reasonable argument, we are willing to listen,” he told the BBC in July.
The student protests are probably the biggest challenge that has faced Ms Hasina since she took power again in 2009.
How they are resolved will depend on how she handles the unrest and, most importantly, how she addresses the public's growing anger.
SOURCE: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq5xye1d285o
We can't know for sure, but looking at what happened in Bangladesh helps us understand what might cause a revolution in Pakistan. If the economy gets really bad, the government becomes unfair, and different regions feel ignored, things could get out of control.
This is a look at Pakistan right now, exploring what might cause a revolution and what it would mean for the country.
--------------------------
Why is the Bangladeshi government facing so much anger?
Bangladesh is in turmoil.
Street protests are not new to this South Asian nation of 170 million people – but the violence that has unfolded in the last few weeks has been described as some of the worst in living memory.
Some 300 people have died so far according to news agency AFP, with at least 94 killed on Sunday alone, including 13 police officers - the worst single day casualty figure from any demonstrations in Bangladesh’s recent history.
Bangladeshi media and protesters say the police is largely responsible for the spiralling death toll. The government says that officers have only ever opened fire out of self-defence or to protect state property.
Now, thousands are calling for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina - who has ruled the nation since 2009 - to resign.
The government has responded by implementing an unprecedented nationwide curfew and continuing to cut off internet access in parts of the country.
How did the protests begin?
The protests, which have been ongoing since early July, began with peaceful demands from university students to abolish quotas in civil service jobs - a third of which are reserved for relatives of veterans from Bangladesh’s war for independence from Pakistan in 1971.
The campaigners had argued the system was discriminatory and needed to be overhauled, but although their demands were largely met, the protests have since transformed into a wider anti-government movement.
Ms Hasina remains defiant, describing those demonstrating against her administration as "terrorists who are out to destabilise the nation".
But the United Nations has called for an end to the "shocking violence" and urged restraint from Bangladeshi politicians and security forces.
"The government must cease targeting those participating peacefully in the protest movement, immediately release those arbitrarily detained, restore full internet access, and create conditions for meaningful dialogue," its human rights chief, Volker Türk said in a statement on Sunday.
With fresh marches planned to take place in the capital Dhaka, there are growing fears of further bloodshed.
What has turned into a nationwide campaign of civil disobedience has yet to show any signs of abating.
“It’s not students anymore, it seems that people from all walks of life have joined the protest movement,” Dr Samina Luthfa, assistant professor of sociology in the University of Dhaka, tells the BBC.
Why are people angry?
The protests have been a long time coming. Though Bangladesh is one of the fastest growing economies in the world, experts point out that growth has not translated into jobs for university graduates.
Estimates suggest that around 18 million young Bangladeshis are looking for jobs. University graduates face higher rates of unemployment than their less-educated peers.
Bangladesh has become a powerhouse of ready-to-wear clothing exports. The country exports around $40 billion worth of clothes to the global market.
The sector employs more than four million people, many of them women. But factory jobs are not sufficient for the aspiring younger generation.
Under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule, Bangladesh has transformed itself by building new roads, bridges, factories and even a metro rail.
Its per-capita income has tripled in the last decade and the World Bank estimates that more than 25 million people have been lifted out of poverty in the last 20 years.
But many say that some of that growth is only helping those close to Ms Hasina’s Awami League.
Dr Luthfa says: “We are witnessing so much corruption. Especially among those close to the ruling party. Corruption has been continuing for a long time without being punished.”
Social media in Bangladesh in recent months has been dominated by discussions about corruption allegations against some of Ms Hasina’s former top officials – including a former army chief, ex-police chief, senior tax officers and state recruitment officials.
In mid-July Ms Hasina promised she would act against corruption and acknowledged it as a long-standing problem.
During the same press conference in Dhaka, she said she had taken action against a household assistant after he allegedly amassed $34 million. She did not identify the individual.
The reaction of the Bangladeshi media was that this much money could only have been accumulated through lobbying for government contracts, corruption, or bribery.
The anti-corruption commission in Bangladesh has launched an investigation into former police chief Benazir Ahmed – once seen as a close ally of Ms Hasina – for amassing millions of dollars, allegedly through illegal means. He denies the allegations.
This news didn’t escape ordinary people in the country, who are struggling with the escalating cost of living.
In addition to corruption allegations, many rights activists point out that space for democratic activity has shrunk over the past 15 years.
“For three consecutive elections, there has been no credible free and fair polling process,” Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch, told the BBC.
“[Ms Hasina] has perhaps underestimated the level of dissatisfaction people had about being denied the most basic democratic right to choose their own leader,” Ms Ganguly said.
The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) boycotted elections in 2014 and 2024 saying free and fair elections were not possible under Ms Hasina and that they wanted the polls to be held under a neutral caretaker administration.
Ms Hasina has always rejected this demand.
Rights groups also say more than 80 people, many of them government critics, have disappeared in the past 15 years, and that their families have no information on their whereabouts.
The government is accused of stifling dissent and the media, amid wider concerns that Ms Hasina has grown increasingly autocratic over the years. But ministers deny the charges.
“The anger against the government and the ruling party have been accumulating for a long time,” says Dr Luthfa.
“People are showing their anger now. People resort to protest if they don’t have any recourse left.”
How has the government reacted?
Ms Hasina’s ministers say the government has shown extreme restraint despite what they describe as provocative actions by protesters.
They say demonstrations have been infiltrated by their political opposition and by Islamist parties, who they say initiated the violence.
Law Minister Anisul Huq said the government was open to discussing the issues.
“The government has been reaching out to the student protesters. When there is a reasonable argument, we are willing to listen,” he told the BBC in July.
The student protests are probably the biggest challenge that has faced Ms Hasina since she took power again in 2009.
How they are resolved will depend on how she handles the unrest and, most importantly, how she addresses the public's growing anger.
SOURCE: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq5xye1d285o
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The song they are singing Is written by D.L. Roy a Hindu poet.
