It’s only been two weeks since I returned to Germany after my vacation in Bangladesh. Before leaving Bangladesh, I was aware of the ongoing Quota Movement, but due to my busy schedule, I wasn’t fully updated on the developments. On Tuesday, July 16, I suddenly found myself added to a WhatsApp group – ‘Quota Movement-Hamburg’. Discussions were ongoing about how the ruling party’s student wing, Chhatra League, was attacking protesting students in Bangladesh. We felt the urgency to join the protest. As the discussion progressed, the news of how our brave son, Saeed, was shot and killed by the police in Rangpur spread like wildfire on TV and the internet. Bangladeshis in Hamburg, along with those in other cities in Germany and around the world, were outraged, and thus began the protests by the diaspora.
On July 17, with the permission of the German police, we organised a protest rally on July 18. Slogans like ‘We Want Justice,’ ‘Why did my brother die? We demand Justice,’ ‘Protect Bangladeshi Students, and Stop student killing’ echoed in the streets of Hamburg by Bangladeshi expatriates. The protests spread from Hamburg to Berlin, Munich, Cologne, and all over Germany. This wave of anger was not confined to Germany alone – it spread to Paris, London, New York, and other cities worldwide. Meanwhile, more lives were lost in Bangladesh. Students like Mugdha, who were simply offering water bottles, were killed. The more Sheikh Hasina’s government cracked down on students, the more harshly the diaspora took to the streets in protest against her regime.
After the students forced out the Chhatra League terrorists from the university halls, a sense of victory was there but shortly the government imposed a curfew and shut down the internet, initiating a massacre. Videos of brutal police attacks began to pour in – heart-wrenching footage of students being shot, their lifeless bodies lying in pools of blood on the streets, and others gunned down while desperately trying to flee. These harrowing scenes brought tears to the eyes of expatriate Bangladeshis, filling their hearts with sorrow and helplessness. The faces of ordinary people in the country were filled with a mixture of rage and helplessness – anger for the situation back home and despair over not being able to do anything for their junior students in their universities.
Protesters in Sheffield, England gathered in support of the Bangladeshi students. Photo: X/@TanzilShafique
On July 18 and 19, to intensify the movement, around 100+ expatriates from various cities in Germany held a meeting. Simultaneously, to globalise the movement, a few groups were formed under the name ‘Global Call,’ and several rounds of meetings were held involving expatriates from different countries.
Following the meeting’s decisions, one team started sending the news and videos to international media outlets, another group began emailing human rights organisations, and yet another team was formed to analyse the impact of stopping remittances. In some places, protests were held in front of Bangladesh embassies. The first round of efforts was quite successful, with major global news channels and newspapers starting to cover the Bangladesh issue as their lead news. The United Nations and human rights organisations began issuing press releases, creating pressure on the then-autocratic government.
However, the expatriates realised that Sheikh Hasina had ignored such statements from the UN and human rights organisations before, so something more effective needed to be done. Thus began the campaign ‘NO Remittance to Autocratic Sheikh Hasina’s Bangladesh.’ This campaign quickly gained popularity, and the effects were soon evident. The very next day, former minister Palak and Sheikh Hasina began requesting people to send remittances.
Also read: Bruised, Battered, Targeted, Undaunted: Bangladesh’s Students Will Not Bow
Meanwhile, the six-day internet shutdown further infuriated expatriate Bangladeshis. Even pro-Awami League expatriates and many Awami League supporters slowly began to join the protests. At one point, while the movement for nine demands from students was ongoing in Bangladesh, a one-point demand for Sheikh Hasina’s resignation began among the expatriates. The common sentiment was that a government that orders its police and allied forces to shoot its own people cannot remain in power.
The impact of the diaspora’s actions was evident in a speech by one of the movement’s coordinators, who said, “When we were offline, we felt somewhat demoralised. But when the internet was restored, and we saw that our expatriate Bangladeshis had joined this fight, we could not remain idle. We gathered all our courage and strength and joined the battle.”
I believe that, like me, thousands of Bangladeshis were skipping studies, work, and social gatherings just to follow the news and activities on Facebook. Between August 2 and 4, as ordinary people, lawyers, former military personnel, and others gradually joined the movement, the brutal Awami League government deployed its activists again on August 4 to stop the protest. Expatriates were deeply concerned about more lives being lost. Unfortunately, more lives were lost, but the way Bengali students defeated the Awami League and Chhatra League on the road on August 4 made it clear that Sheikh Hasina’s fall was only a matter of time.
On August 4, student leaders issued a call for a ‘March to Dhaka’ on August 5, intending to blockade the prime minister’s residence. Fears loomed that more lives would be lost in the brutal crackdown that was sure to follow. That night, expatriates held an urgent meeting, where the primary focus was on how to send medical supplies to the injured and raise funds with the help of organisations like the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders.
On the morning of August 5, the cloud of fear began to lift as news came in that hundreds of thousands of students and people were marching towards the prime minister’s residence. The army chief, realising that the unstoppable Bengali tide could no longer be contained, announced a press conference, while the once powerful, arrogant, and inhumane head of state fled the country. That was a new sunrise for Bangladesh. Bangladeshis around the world united in victory rallies, celebrating the formation of a new Bangladesh.
While expatriates are often called ‘remittance warriors’ for the country’s needs, they have long been frustrated with the state apparatus. The Bangladesh embassies overseas were doing nothing significant that seemed to benefit the expatriates. There is little visible effort to build partnerships or relations with other states. From passport processing to any other service, there is a lack of adequate assistance. There is no special arrangement for our expatriates in the Middle East who suffer the most.
Even though expatriates are willing to fly on the national carrier, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, ticket prices are always higher, yet due to corruption, the airline remains in loss. When expatriates return home, they face extreme mismanagement at the airport. The demand for qualitative change in the country is shared by expatriates and locals alike. Additionally, expatriates are calling for the swift initiation of trials for all massacres and murders.
Expatriates have made some sacrifices in this movement. Fifty-seven people were sentenced in the Middle East; many expatriate Bangladeshis’ homes in the country were vandalized or attacked for writing against the government during the Quota Movement. Even abroad, Awami League activists constantly issued threats. However, the sacrifices of expatriates are minimal compared to the sacrifices of Saeed, Mugdha, and the six-year-old child Riya who gave their lives for a new Bangladesh.
Since August 5, victory celebrations have been seen across countries, uniting Bangladeshis around the world in a shared triumph. This feeling of victory, of hope for a new Bangladesh, is something I will carry in my heart for a long time, just as the 15 million expatriate Bangladeshis will. We remain deeply committed to the success of this new Bangladesh, filled with hope and determination for a brighter future.
Rabiul H Chowdhury is a writer and social activist, and analytical chemist, based in Hamburg, Germany.