Bangladesh’s political landscape has been rocked by tragic events on university campuses recently. A disturbing incident took place at Jahangirnagar University in Dhaka, where a student leader named Shamim Ahmed was violently assaulted and killed. The attack appears to be a retaliatory crackdown on protests that led to the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last month.
Shamim Ahmed, a prominent member of the student wing of Hasina’s Awami League party, was targeted for leading an attack on student protesters on the campus in July. Tensions were running high amid protests demanding Hasina’s departure from power.
Police reports revealed that Ahmed was assaulted by unidentified assailants on Wednesday night and was rushed to Gonoshasthaya Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Doctors confirmed that multiple injuries were the cause of his death.
This is unfortunately not the first such incident, as another Awami League student wing leader, Abdullah Al Masud, was killed after being attacked by a mob in Rajshahi in September. He had also been accused of organizing counter-protests against the student uprising against Hasina.
The precarious situation in Bangladesh since Sheikh Hasina’s ouster only highlights the deep divisions within society. Allegations of widespread abuses under Hasina’s government, including mass detention and extrajudicial killings, led to a wave of violence that claimed more than 450 lives before the authoritarian leader was ousted.
Since Hasina’s exile in India, many prominent members of Hasina’s party have been arrested, and her government appointees have been ousted from the courts and the central bank. There has also been a purge of journalists close to the previous regime.
These recent events demonstrate that Bangladesh faces serious challenges to security, political stability and respect for human rights. It is essential that the country’s authorities take urgent measures to de-escalate tensions and ensure the safety of all citizens, particularly students who should be able to express themselves freely without fear for their lives.