logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2024
12m 30s

How did student protests bring down Bang...

Bbc World Service
About this episode

There are celebrations in Bangladesh following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation after weeks of violent unrest.

Many have described the past month as one of the worst periods of violence seen in Bangladesh since the country formed five decades ago. Student protests against quotas in government jobs escalated into an anti-government movement after a violent crackdown by security forces and pro-government student groups have seen around 400 people killed.

The country remains in a state of chaos after the Prime Minister hastily fled the country before protestors stormed her official residence.

Until recently, 30% of civil service roles in Bangladesh were reserved for the children and grandchildren of people who fought for the country’s independence back in 1971, a system protestors said benefitted those close to the ruling party.

Protestors share their experiences and our BBC reporter in Dhaka, Akbar Hossain, explains how the student protests changed course and dramatically ended the 76 year-old leader’s 15 year reign. We also hear from Rani Singh, who previously interviewed Sheikh Hasina at her palace.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Kevyah Cardoso and William Lee Adams Editor: Emily Horler and Rosanna La-Falce

Up next
Aug 22
ID please! Why the UK is checking your age online
In the UK, if you want to watch pornography or see content on sites like X, Reddit and Discord that is deemed only suitable for people over 18 years old, you now need to provide your identification to prove you are old enough to access this material. The UK government says its On ... Show More
11m 33s
Aug 21
Why fake weddings are India’s latest party trend
The big fat 'fake' Indian wedding is social media’s latest party trend. Fake wedding parties have taken the world and social media by storm with people getting together to enjoy all the fun of a wedding party: the food, Bollywood music, dancing and glamorous outfits. But there ar ... Show More
10m 5s
Aug 20
Why the world is divided on plastic pollution
Life is full of plastic, but it’s not always fantastic. We know that plastic is super useful: it helps keep food fresh and lets medicines, like vaccines, be delivered at scale to billions of people. But the world is drowning in it. In fact, the amount of plastic on our planet now ... Show More
11 m
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2024
Making Sense of Bangladesh
After 15 years in power, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, has resigned from her post and fled the country. It's an incredible development and the culmination of deadly protests that have rocked the nation for weeks. New York Times' South Asia Bureau Chief Mujib Ma ... Show More
1h 1m
Jul 2024
Bangladeshi-Australians gather in Sydney to raise awareness about the violence in Bangladesh
A week of violent clashes between students and police in Bangladesh has resulted in at least 114 deaths and thousands of injuries. Students are protesting against a quota system for jobs in the country's public service that favours descendants of those who fought in the 1971 Bang ... Show More
5m 42s
Jun 17
Muhammad Yunus: We dream of creating a new Bangladesh
Rajini Vaidyanathan, BBC News presenter and correspondent, speaks to Muhammad Yunus, interim leader of Bangladesh.The 84-year-old is perhaps one of the world’s best-known Bangladeshis. Described as the banker to the world’s poor, he gained international recognition as a Nobel pri ... Show More
22m 59s
Jul 2024
Why Bangladeshi students say protests aren’t over
As internet connections gradually come back online in Bangladesh after deadly protests sparked a shutdown, we hear what students experienced and why they say the protests are not over. In this episode:  Nazifa Zahnat, student protester Prapti Taposhi, student protester Tasneem, s ... Show More
19m 28s
Aug 2024
Starmer's first big test: How well did the PM handle the riots?
Thousands of anti-racism protesters gathered across England and formed human barriers to protect asylum centres after police warned of more than 100 far-right-led rallies on Wednesday night.     On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson speaks to Tawhid Islam, Trustee at Liverpool Re ... Show More
18m 35s
Aug 2024
Muhammad Yunus returns to Bangladesh to lead interim government
Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus - a longtime political foe of Bangladesh's ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina - has been named the country's interim leader. The 84-year-old was appointed a day after Ms Hasina fled the country following weeks of deadly protests that brought her res ... Show More
47m 26s
Aug 2024
How Bangladesh’s longest-serving leader was toppled by student protests
Sheikh Hasina was a historic figure in her country. But now she has fled after protests turned violent. How did it all go wrong? David Bergman reports 
30m 15s
Jul 2024
Why are Bangladesh students protesting?
School’s out in Bangladesh, and students are up in arms against government job quotas. In response, there’s been a deadly crackdown in which authorities shut down all public universities and cut mobile phone services. Are students in Bangladesh losing faith in their country’s pro ... Show More
17m 12s