Bangladesh’s Leader Resigns and Flees Country After Protests – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
I don't want to be gloomy, but I feel like nothing will change for the better realistically. I feel like we're either going to see a military strongman take over (like Egypt), or religious fanatics (like Iran), or some miserable compromise between the two like Pakistan.
Am I wrong?
Posted by Prestigious-Claim597
15 Comments
> what do you think are the odds of Bangladesh becoming a neoliberal democracy?
lol
None
Best we can do is an increasingly dysfunctional Islamist state that oppresses its religious minorities and exports terror.
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I’m American but am ethnically part Bangladeshi, and I’d be lying if I didn’t view this moment as something that I’m somewhat proud of my ancestral people for being able to accomplish.
Like, they managed to overthrow an autocrat who amassed power because of this strange pseudo-cult around her dad and the 1971 guerrilla resistance, and maintained a grip on this power through brutal repression.
I’d also be lying if I told you I believed that Bangladesh is now going to change for the better.
For all of her faults, Hasina at least wasn’t an overt Islamist, and this power vacuum has a very real chance of resolving with insane Islamist populists in power.
I hope that in like, 30 years we can look back at this moment and see it as the start of Bangladesh’s transformation into liberal democracy, and we could talk about Bangladesh like we talk about South Korea.
But that’s not happening lmao, Islam is far too pervasive of a sociopolitical force there for any meaningful strides towards liberalism.
It will become a jihadist state just like Pakistan and Afghanistan.
It all depends on the military now. The Awami League has been destroyed, Khaleda Zia is on her death bed and we don’t know what will come of the BNP. People in general are sick of “the battle of the begums”. I only hope the Islamists won’t get a chance to take over.
Ironically, democracy came to Bangladesh under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia in 1990. Now it dies together with them.
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Crazy take: I’m hoping Bangladesh rejoins India
The majority of time anywhere in the world this situation results in a strongman take over. I want to be optimistic but history shows its rare. Democracy isn’t appealing to people with a lot of power already
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Islam is incompatible with liberal democracy, but you’re not allowed to say that for some reason. Thus the answer is never until Bangladesh secularizes through gradual economic development.
Military rule for a while until elections are called.
The protests are being led by students who are socially liberal, but economically left wing and protectionist
I really hope their movement succeeds, they are ideologically the best in Bangladesh
We’ll see tbh