The student movement that led to Sheikh Hasina’s downfall has started to raise questions as old political forces like the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir are trying to take the credit for ending Hasina’s authoritarian rule.
Social media is currently abuzz with posts pointing towards the division inside Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, the organisation which led the movement against Hasina. Some are trying to prove that without the support of BNP, its affiliate organisations and Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student movement would not succeed to remove Hasina from power.
What’s worse is that some prominent journalists of Bangladesh, who are known for their exemplary achievements and contributions both nationally and internationally, has joined this blame game.
The arguments started when Zulkarnain Saer, an investigative journalist at Al Jazeera, wrote a 4-part series of facebook posts, bringing to light the hidden events that led to the fall of Hasina on 5 August 2024.
In his posts, Saer stripped the popular leadership of Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, which includes Nahid Islam, Asif Mahmud, Sarjis Alam and Hasnat Abdullah, from their roles as leaders of the movement against Hasina.
Throughout his posts, Saer introduced some lesser-known faces as an alternative force behind the success of the movement, including Hannan, Kader, Rifat and Mahin.
According to Saer’s writings, a confidant of him played the leading role in ensuring the safety of Hannan & Co when Hasina’s puppet forces were hunting them down.
Throughout his writings, Saer puts heavy emphasis over this confidant of him, portraying her as a leading voice in managing secure places for Hannan & Co and giving the movement a direction during its crucial hour.
Saer also talks about Shafiqul Alam, the AFP bureau chief turned chief adviser’s press secretary, as playing a rather advisory role during the movement.
While stating that Shafiqul was the first person to break the news of Hasina’s fleeing, Saer also revealed Shafiqul as the person who had helped Mahfuj Alam, known as the mastermind behind of the student movement, in securing jobs when Mahfuj needed it badly.
Saer also talks about a person named Salman, and later reveals this person as Sadik Kayem, a Shibir leader, as the person who had played the role of a coordinator while ensuring safety for Hannan & Co.
This man, Sadik alias Salman, used to call the shots during that period, Saer’s writing reveals.
In his facebook posts, Saer also mentions BNP Acting Chairperson Tarique Rahman and Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, who had been contacted by the movement leaders and were watching over the situation closely.
All in all, Saer’s four part series of writings try to establish the narrative that without the help of BNP and Shibir, removing Hasina from power would have been impossible.
The role of a Bloomberg journalist
Although now deleted, Saer had mentioned the name of a US-based journalist working for Bloomberg as a key person who had helped Hannan & Co in getting into safe houses when the law enforcers were looking for them everywhere.
Nazmul Ahasan, the Bloomberg journalist, wrote a facebook post in reaction to Saer’s writings, debugging many false narratives set forth by Saer by presenting his own narrative of what happened during the final days of the movement.
In his facebook post, Nazmul said he had been contacted by the confidant about whom Saer talks in depth in his writings, the person who has been portrayed as the focal point in Saer’s writing, as requesting Nazmul to secure a place for Hannan & Co, a safe home as described by Saer.
Nazmul also acknowledges his correspondence with Sadik Kayem, stating that the Shibir leader had contacted him to manage a safe place for Hannan and Co.
Nazmul also acknowledges his correspondence with Sadik Kayem, stating that the Shibir leader had contacted him to manage a safe place for Hannan and Co.
However, Nazmul clarified in his post that he was unaware of the identity of Sadik Kayem.
While Saer tried to depict BNP and Shibir leaders as adding fuel to the movement, Nazmul’s position is more inclusive, where he urges his readers to accept the fact that there were many forces behind the success of the movement and they should be given proper credits for playing their roles.
Meanwhile, Shafiqul, press secretary of the CA, tried to broker peace between Saer and Nazmul, the two bickering parties.
“I am a big fan of the woman journalist that Zulkarnain Saer talked about,” Shafiqul said in one of his posts regarding the matter.
In another post, Shafiqul lauded Mahfuj as a raw talent and depicted him as the key strategist of the movement.
“In early July when a big procession of students marched to Shahbagh, I had a long chat with Nahid, Mahfuj and several Chhatra Dal activists. What I learnt from the student activists and several coordinators that Mahfuj was the key strategist behind the nascent movement. I did talk to him several times later when the movement made a decisive turn,” Shafiqul added.
Muhammad A. Bashed is the operational editor at Muktipotro
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