Somewhere, some people did not get it right

The recent spate of violence claiming over 200 lives, mostly of young citizens, that Bangladesh just witnessed definitely reflected the sorry state of affairs in this country. Now, after the crackdowns on what initially was a peaceful students’ protest, a large-scale mass arrest is going on -- children below the age of 18 are not being spared either.
There are many questions now in their minds, the ones who have endured the pains of losing so many of their peers in a quota reform movement, which went violent after getting attacked by the ruling party’s vigilant force -- the Chhatra League. The young students now wonder if it is something someone wants to suppress. They ponder whether somewhere, some people are trying to conceal their inactions or inept handling of the affairs behind the smokescreens, reports DT.
In retrospect, it appears everything went wrong from the very beginning. When students had asked for a logical reformation of quota in government services, they were shown the doors of the courts whereas all along it’s essentially a simple routine affair of the executives.
We mustn’t have short memories. Months before the government finally abolished the quota in October 2018 in certain grades of public services amidst protracted students’ movement, three petitioners had moved to the High Court in January that year seeking a re-evaluation and scrapping of the existing quota system.
The High Court didn’t give any quota reform decision, noting that it’s a government policy decision. Even this July, the Appellate Division in its quota verdict said the government can take any decision it seems fit to bring reform into the quota system. All along, it’s an executives’ domain and the students think the government could very well bring necessary reforms had goodwill and good sense prevailed. To the students seeking reforms, it was an arbitrary decision on the part of the government when the latter abolished the quota altogether in late 2018 because they didn’t ask for it in the first place. All they wanted then and also now is a reformation.
Then comes the issue of how the government handled the mid-July protests. The students have a right to feel disappointed at the language used by some of the top government functionaries and subsequently instigating ruling party students’ front to make attacks on otherwise peaceful assemblies. After all that has transpired, with all civility these people of higher responsible positions should have long resigned and taken at least some responsibilities.
Alas, that has never been a norm in this country. Nor did they consider it, up until this point of time, as an option for damage control.
For days on end since the heavy-handed police actions, the people of this country were kept deprived of internet connectivity and use of their social media handles. Yet, some of the telltale video footage that surfaced through voluntary uploading by citizens and student protesters depict how force had been applied disproportionally to quell the movement. Now that the law enforcing apparatus apparently has free reign to go for a manhunt, we’re seeing people in the hundreds being rounded up -- students and children included. Protesting students are increasingly feeling dejected at the prospect of no sincere move in bringing to justice those members of the law enforcement and Chhatra League responsible for excessive and unlawful force.
In the meantime, the authorities appear confident in their quick “findings” that their all-too-familiar political opponents are the ones who are responsible for all of this violence. Independent analysis shows nearly 90% of the arrestees in Dhaka over the past week or so aren’t linked to any political party.
Protesting students are seeing little to no sincere action whatsoever; Is this supposed to give them some confidence that the government means business and it values the promises given to them on honouring their legitimate demands? It is also surprising that through it all, the government has found no fault of its own -- taking responsibility for nothing.   
Reaz Ahmad is Executive Editor, Dhaka Tribune.