The day Sheikh Hasina fled from Dhaka I used to be in Bangladesh. I noticed sloganeering, jeering, rowdy crowds cheering the opposition and general chaos that ensued. It began on seventeenth July 2024. I went to show in a sabbatical to the scholars of Asian College for Ladies, Chittagong , Bangladesh on thirtieth Could 2024. Initially it was nice and I explored the nation and the town as a newcomer would.My household accompanied me and we travelled to Cox bazar seaside, then to Dhaka on highway.
Chittagong port is big and the town is bustling. Dhaka appeared like Bandra Kurla Advanced, the are we lived in was Banani, a tony upscale a part of the town. Visitors was chaotic, warmth was oppressive but it surely felt good when did Jamdani saree buying and ate Hilsa, the queen of Padma river. My household left for Kolkata and I settled again in Chittagong, my educating begun. Since it’s an college for ladies my college students had been all women and oh, boy they got here from societies that are oppressive and a few from warzone like Afghanistan or Sri Lanka. They’d troublesome previous and educating them gave me a goal. By my lectures I didn’t solely train however supplied them hope which stokes their hearth within the stomach. It was a satisfying humanitarian expertise I had. I’ve been a trainer since 2004 however this time it was totally different. I had at all times taught college students who largely got here from advantaged background, few college students I had handled had been from disadvantageous part of the society. However these women, a few of them had been rescued from warzone , a few of them are fatherless, a few of them got here from nations exceptional like East Timor. So it was a problem in addition to a fulfilment to show them and buoy their optimism.
The difficulty begun from seventeenth of July when Haseena authorities elevated quota in jobs for freedom fighters’ progeny. College students had been up in arms, virtually 250 college students deceased by police assault. There was web outage for six days, ISD calls between my residence and me was patchy. There was curfew. I finished going out from the campus from 18th July completely, it was unsafe for everyone to enterprise out, notably the foreigners. The Asian College has 750 Afghan refugees, 400 Rohingya refugees and greater than 50 overseas lecturers, some from USA and UK. So the campus in Chittagong was sealed, nonetheless meals was out there in canteen and groceries and veggies may very well be purchased from an inner store and push carts. From twenty fourth July night Web was restored and cellular knowledge useable. The federal government rolled again the quota reforms and I believed issues could be regular. Curfew was relaxed from 10am to 4pm at first, then from twenty seventh rest was from 8am to 6pm. Nevertheless issues heated up once more from thirtieth July, there was scholar leaders detained by detectives and the scholars now wished launch of all the scholars and compensation for the lack of lives. The opposition events jumped in, all of them proposed a civil disobedience from 1st August. From 2nd August I once more heard there have been large crowd combating in GEC extra, New market, Tigerpass space of Chittagong. Regardless of heavy rains on Friday, simply after namaaz there was heavy crowds and rallies on the streets. I went out to eat lunch with a buddy on Saturday third August in Copper Chimney, GEC extra however bought caught because of a rally. Then we went buying in Sanmar Ocean Metropolis however the shutters had been down for half an hour because of rallies. We had been scared. I returned residence within the night. Sunday 4th August noticed worsening of the scenario with crowds going out of hand. There was sloganeering, jeering, lathicharge and firing in New market are of Chittagong. My passport went for visa renewal in final week of July and I now wished my passport again. Riyaz, the college logistic supervisor promptly began by bicycle and obtained our passports. He was stopped because of firing. He couldn’t come residence that night time, he stayed at a buddy’s place. I admired the dutifulness of Riyaz and gifted him money as a result of passport was important for leaving the nation which I had determined after a name to Indian Embassy in Chittagong on Sunday afternoon. After I referred to as the attaché’ on thirtieth July he steered me to remain again since he thought issues could be higher. Nevertheless, on Sunday 4th August once I referred to as him he appeared panicked and advised me to depart ASAP. He was additionally fearful since I advised him passport just isn’t in my hand. The place was tense Sunday night time as a result of the scholars deliberate an extended march to Dhaka on Sunday night time.
Then got here the day of fifth August which I shall always remember. We had a breakfast within the college lounge and Sanaul Karim handed me over the ticket for my early exit to Kolkata that morning, Shama apu helped me in ticketing. Sanaul Karim is an FBI educated personnel and he appeared panicked. He advised me depart ASAP. The scenario was worsening each hour. I packed my luggage by Monday morning, the ticket was in and I used to be about to depart on Tuesday sixth August early morning. By 1.30pm I went to the closest ATM to withdraw money, within the worst-case state of affairs money is extra vital. The roads had been empty, the scenario was severe. The campus was already closely guarded. Nevertheless, inside an hour by 2.30pm there was jubilation on the highway. Native channels confirmed the PM Sheikh Hasina has resigned and fled. Now we had been all sitting in entrance of a TV within the college lounge. Web was out from Sunday night time. Monday morning there was complete web outage. All of a sudden after 2.30 pm Web was restored and I referred to as residence. My spouse was panicking the whole episodes, by means of patchy ISD calls we linked within the final 2 weeks and he or she was fearful about my well-being. I began receiving calls and messages from family and friends from India. There have been folks rejoicing on the streets. Outlets opened. Automobiles began plying. Little did I do know what awaits me on Tuesday morning.
I awoke at 4am Tuesday sixth July and bought prepared. We had been transported to the airport by an Ambulance. I noticed burnt chassis of automobiles on the way in which. There was zero visitors in that wee hour. The true hassle begun after we reached airport. There have been few college students leaving for Nepal through Dhaka, one professor to Sharjah and one other British citizen to Dubai through Dhaka. Since Dhaka airport was closed all of the flights had been cancelled, the airport authority was initially not permitting anybody to enter the airport. Nevertheless, after pleading and prodding the passengers had been allowed entry after 7.30am. I used to be stranded outdoors the airport from 5.30am, then US Bangla airline introduced their flight to Kolkata was on time. I jumped and entered the airport. Instantly after verify in, I used to be nonetheless anxiously ready within the lounge what if the flight doesn’t take off. There was just one plane standing on the tarmac. Nevertheless, by 10.30am they began boarding, there have been Bangladeshi passengers additionally flying to Kolkata for medical check-up. That was essentially the most harrowing flight I had ever in my whole life. The second the flight landed I felt a way of reduction in my thoughts. By no means earlier than I had favored Kolkata a lot. I deplaned and picked up my baggage. The customs officers, airport authority got here as much as communicate to me asking about my well-being. They advised “no baggage verify at customs, simply go residence and get better from the trauma”. I got here residence and residential by no means felt so secure and glad.
I by no means anticipated an occasion like it will occur once I stepped in Bangladesh. I by no means knew I shall see a authorities topple and alter in regime in a overseas land below such dramatic and harrowing flip of circumstances. It was drama on a regular basis since seventeenth July. My pulse shot up, I used to be scared, I had sleepless nights and the place did nothing to encourage confidence. My family and friends panicked and was continuously tried to contact me each time web was out there, my spouse referred to as up Chittagong Indian Embassy and spoke about my well-being. There have been kinfolk and mates who began praying for me. I thank all of them from the underside of my coronary heart and I thank the Asian College officers who helped in my secure passage to India.
Ultimately I have to inform you other than few days ultimately I by no means felt and spoke about Bangladesh, it’s their nation’s residents who will determine their destiny and who am I to touch upon who is true who’s incorrect. And the scholars I taught had been from various nations and communities after educating whom I felt happy. However I can always remember what occurred to me in these 3 weeks from seventeenth July 2024. Indians should know what a superbly organized free nation we have now the place rule of legislation is supreme and freedom of speech is unrivalled. I got here from a rustic again the place college students gave their lives for upholding freedom of speech. I returned from a rustic the place mayhem and bloodshed had been common and the place navy takes over the nation. I, now, have fun the greatness of India. A blood-stained change of fascist regime in a overseas land taught me to worth what we have now essentially the most in India- “Peace”.
(Writer : Dr Biswa Prasun Chatterji, PhD (IIT Bombay), Professor, School of Science, Assam down city College, Guwahati, India; International Visiting Professor, Asian College for Ladies, Bangladesh)
Chittagong port is big and the town is bustling. Dhaka appeared like Bandra Kurla Advanced, the are we lived in was Banani, a tony upscale a part of the town. Visitors was chaotic, warmth was oppressive but it surely felt good when did Jamdani saree buying and ate Hilsa, the queen of Padma river. My household left for Kolkata and I settled again in Chittagong, my educating begun. Since it’s an college for ladies my college students had been all women and oh, boy they got here from societies that are oppressive and a few from warzone like Afghanistan or Sri Lanka. They’d troublesome previous and educating them gave me a goal. By my lectures I didn’t solely train however supplied them hope which stokes their hearth within the stomach. It was a satisfying humanitarian expertise I had. I’ve been a trainer since 2004 however this time it was totally different. I had at all times taught college students who largely got here from advantaged background, few college students I had handled had been from disadvantageous part of the society. However these women, a few of them had been rescued from warzone , a few of them are fatherless, a few of them got here from nations exceptional like East Timor. So it was a problem in addition to a fulfilment to show them and buoy their optimism.
The difficulty begun from seventeenth of July when Haseena authorities elevated quota in jobs for freedom fighters’ progeny. College students had been up in arms, virtually 250 college students deceased by police assault. There was web outage for six days, ISD calls between my residence and me was patchy. There was curfew. I finished going out from the campus from 18th July completely, it was unsafe for everyone to enterprise out, notably the foreigners. The Asian College has 750 Afghan refugees, 400 Rohingya refugees and greater than 50 overseas lecturers, some from USA and UK. So the campus in Chittagong was sealed, nonetheless meals was out there in canteen and groceries and veggies may very well be purchased from an inner store and push carts. From twenty fourth July night Web was restored and cellular knowledge useable. The federal government rolled again the quota reforms and I believed issues could be regular. Curfew was relaxed from 10am to 4pm at first, then from twenty seventh rest was from 8am to 6pm. Nevertheless issues heated up once more from thirtieth July, there was scholar leaders detained by detectives and the scholars now wished launch of all the scholars and compensation for the lack of lives. The opposition events jumped in, all of them proposed a civil disobedience from 1st August. From 2nd August I once more heard there have been large crowd combating in GEC extra, New market, Tigerpass space of Chittagong. Regardless of heavy rains on Friday, simply after namaaz there was heavy crowds and rallies on the streets. I went out to eat lunch with a buddy on Saturday third August in Copper Chimney, GEC extra however bought caught because of a rally. Then we went buying in Sanmar Ocean Metropolis however the shutters had been down for half an hour because of rallies. We had been scared. I returned residence within the night. Sunday 4th August noticed worsening of the scenario with crowds going out of hand. There was sloganeering, jeering, lathicharge and firing in New market are of Chittagong. My passport went for visa renewal in final week of July and I now wished my passport again. Riyaz, the college logistic supervisor promptly began by bicycle and obtained our passports. He was stopped because of firing. He couldn’t come residence that night time, he stayed at a buddy’s place. I admired the dutifulness of Riyaz and gifted him money as a result of passport was important for leaving the nation which I had determined after a name to Indian Embassy in Chittagong on Sunday afternoon. After I referred to as the attaché’ on thirtieth July he steered me to remain again since he thought issues could be higher. Nevertheless, on Sunday 4th August once I referred to as him he appeared panicked and advised me to depart ASAP. He was additionally fearful since I advised him passport just isn’t in my hand. The place was tense Sunday night time as a result of the scholars deliberate an extended march to Dhaka on Sunday night time.
Then got here the day of fifth August which I shall always remember. We had a breakfast within the college lounge and Sanaul Karim handed me over the ticket for my early exit to Kolkata that morning, Shama apu helped me in ticketing. Sanaul Karim is an FBI educated personnel and he appeared panicked. He advised me depart ASAP. The scenario was worsening each hour. I packed my luggage by Monday morning, the ticket was in and I used to be about to depart on Tuesday sixth August early morning. By 1.30pm I went to the closest ATM to withdraw money, within the worst-case state of affairs money is extra vital. The roads had been empty, the scenario was severe. The campus was already closely guarded. Nevertheless, inside an hour by 2.30pm there was jubilation on the highway. Native channels confirmed the PM Sheikh Hasina has resigned and fled. Now we had been all sitting in entrance of a TV within the college lounge. Web was out from Sunday night time. Monday morning there was complete web outage. All of a sudden after 2.30 pm Web was restored and I referred to as residence. My spouse was panicking the whole episodes, by means of patchy ISD calls we linked within the final 2 weeks and he or she was fearful about my well-being. I began receiving calls and messages from family and friends from India. There have been folks rejoicing on the streets. Outlets opened. Automobiles began plying. Little did I do know what awaits me on Tuesday morning.
I awoke at 4am Tuesday sixth July and bought prepared. We had been transported to the airport by an Ambulance. I noticed burnt chassis of automobiles on the way in which. There was zero visitors in that wee hour. The true hassle begun after we reached airport. There have been few college students leaving for Nepal through Dhaka, one professor to Sharjah and one other British citizen to Dubai through Dhaka. Since Dhaka airport was closed all of the flights had been cancelled, the airport authority was initially not permitting anybody to enter the airport. Nevertheless, after pleading and prodding the passengers had been allowed entry after 7.30am. I used to be stranded outdoors the airport from 5.30am, then US Bangla airline introduced their flight to Kolkata was on time. I jumped and entered the airport. Instantly after verify in, I used to be nonetheless anxiously ready within the lounge what if the flight doesn’t take off. There was just one plane standing on the tarmac. Nevertheless, by 10.30am they began boarding, there have been Bangladeshi passengers additionally flying to Kolkata for medical check-up. That was essentially the most harrowing flight I had ever in my whole life. The second the flight landed I felt a way of reduction in my thoughts. By no means earlier than I had favored Kolkata a lot. I deplaned and picked up my baggage. The customs officers, airport authority got here as much as communicate to me asking about my well-being. They advised “no baggage verify at customs, simply go residence and get better from the trauma”. I got here residence and residential by no means felt so secure and glad.
I by no means anticipated an occasion like it will occur once I stepped in Bangladesh. I by no means knew I shall see a authorities topple and alter in regime in a overseas land below such dramatic and harrowing flip of circumstances. It was drama on a regular basis since seventeenth July. My pulse shot up, I used to be scared, I had sleepless nights and the place did nothing to encourage confidence. My family and friends panicked and was continuously tried to contact me each time web was out there, my spouse referred to as up Chittagong Indian Embassy and spoke about my well-being. There have been kinfolk and mates who began praying for me. I thank all of them from the underside of my coronary heart and I thank the Asian College officers who helped in my secure passage to India.
Ultimately I have to inform you other than few days ultimately I by no means felt and spoke about Bangladesh, it’s their nation’s residents who will determine their destiny and who am I to touch upon who is true who’s incorrect. And the scholars I taught had been from various nations and communities after educating whom I felt happy. However I can always remember what occurred to me in these 3 weeks from seventeenth July 2024. Indians should know what a superbly organized free nation we have now the place rule of legislation is supreme and freedom of speech is unrivalled. I got here from a rustic again the place college students gave their lives for upholding freedom of speech. I returned from a rustic the place mayhem and bloodshed had been common and the place navy takes over the nation. I, now, have fun the greatness of India. A blood-stained change of fascist regime in a overseas land taught me to worth what we have now essentially the most in India- “Peace”.
(Writer : Dr Biswa Prasun Chatterji, PhD (IIT Bombay), Professor, School of Science, Assam down city College, Guwahati, India; International Visiting Professor, Asian College for Ladies, Bangladesh)
