Diaspora grapples with the crisis in Bangladesh

In just under two months, Bangladesh has experienced significant political shifts, widespread protests and violence against demonstrators. While those in the country faced intense political and emotional turmoil, Bangladeshis abroad struggled with uncertainty about their homeland’s future.

“I feel very connected to my culture and my identity as a Bangladeshi American person,” said Smita Nadia Hussain of Bloomingdale. “Growing up, my parents didn't have enough money to go every year to Bangladesh, but whenever we went and came back, it almost felt as if I had lost an arm.”

Hussain is the co-founder and a current board member of the Bangladeshi American Women's Development Initiative (BAWDi), a nonprofit that aims to empower, support, activate and organize Bangladeshi women in New Jersey. She likens the pain of watching the country’s current struggles to having a phantom limb. Even though she lives in New Jersey, she said she still feels Bangladesh’s joys and sorrow.

Bangladesh ranks as the sixth largest migrant-sending country worldwide, according to the International Organization for Migration's 2022 World Migration Report. There are over 200,000 Bangladeshis in the US, based on Pew Research Center’s 2019 data. New Jersey, a key hub for the South Asian diaspora, is home to a significant Bangladeshi community.

Amid the turmoil in Bangladesh, Central Desi spoke with members of the Bangladeshi diaspora in New Jersey to understand the community’s concerns.

What happened in Bangladesh

After gaining independence from Pakistan, Bangladesh implemented a quota system reserving 30% of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in the country’s liberation war. In 2018, massive student protests led to the removal of this quota. In late June this year, Bangladesh’s high court reinstated the quota following petitions from relatives of war veterans.

Despite significant economic growth since independence, Bangladesh is dealing with a severe unemployment crisis, with around 32 million young people without jobs and not in school. Protesters argue that the quota system benefits former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ruling party and its allies. Hasina, 76, has been in power since 2009 and secured her fourth consecutive term in January in an election that lacked genuine opposition.

The reinstatement triggered widespread protests, primarily by students. The government responded with curfews, internet shutdowns, and a heavy police and military presence, including shoot-on-sight orders. Many protesters allege that the demonstrations remained peaceful until they were attacked by members of the student wing of Hasina’s Awami League party.

Hasina’s supporters have blamed the protestors for the violence, but Hussain says she believes it's clear that student protesters were attacked, citing videos and reports from the ground that show students being shot and killed.

Hasina’s harsh crackdown, including a rising death toll among protesters, some of whom were minors, fueled further outrage. On July 21, the Supreme Court reduced the quota from 30% to 5%, but protests continued, with demonstrators demanding the complete removal of the quota, justice for the dead and Hasina’s resignation.

On Aug. 5, amid growing unrest, Hasina resigned and fled the country. Her house was subsequently looted and Bangladeshis opposed to the quota celebrated. 

Currently, Nobel Peace Prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus has since been sworn in as the head of Bangladesh’s interim government.

Battle against misinformation

Although the diaspora tries to stay connected to their roots and keep up with news from their homeland, grasping the on-the-ground reality can be challenging.

Writer and lifelong New Jersey resident Priyanka Taslim of Paterson often reads news and posts in Bangla to stay informed about the situation in Bangladesh. But she notes that this can be limiting for her and many others in the diaspora.

“It can be difficult to uncover what's going on through the media directly sometimes because they may not always be accurate. For example, if they're siding with the government or they ask you to side with the government, then I wouldn't necessarily know if that's accurate or not since I'm not there,” she said.

Many in the diaspora, like Tameem Kazi of Atlantic City, grew up shielded from political discussions about their homeland. Kazi, who is a student at Drexel University, attributes this to elders seeking to protect younger family members from stress.

“I first learned everything from social media, but that wasn't exactly when I learned the truth of everything,” Kazi said. 

He recently connected with a Bangladeshi international student at a business convention. Through their conversations, Kazi realized that the situation in Bangladesh is much worse than he had previously understood.

“He told me about how unfair the system is to people who don't have any connection whatsoever with the government,” Kazi said.

Panic amid internet blockade

Many Bangladeshis abroad struggled to communicate with family and friends back home due to an 11-day nationwide mobile internet blockade during the protests in July.

“My parents went days without contacting their family or siblings. It sparked an emotional response because, while we've heard about other countries facing network shutdowns, seeing it firsthand with my parents' relatives was a whole different kind of emotion,” Kazi said.

Many others in the diaspora refrained from contacting people in Bangladesh out of concern about surveillance.

Hussain, seeing posts from Bangladeshis about the protests, wanted to reach out but decided against it.

“I know that sometimes the internet is monitored. So even asking, ‘Hey, how are you doing?’ on Facebook might make them hesitant to respond,” she said.

Responsibility as diaspora

Those interviewed said they feel a strong need to stay informed and support their homeland's struggles in any way they can.

“I feel a responsibility as someone who has the privilege of being outside Bangladesh. Even though we have strong ties to our heritage, there’s a privilege in being away from the situation affecting our families,” Taslim said.

Taslim also cautioned members of the diaspora from drawing conclusions from afar.

“I think it is far too easy if you're not planning to return and live there and to assume expertise for a situation that you're not going to have to deal with,” she said. “Americans and diaspora in general have to be really careful and take the lead from the actual student leaders or people affected there rather than making a blanket judgment.”

Tehsin Pala is the associate editor of Central Desi.

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