Bangladesh Madrasa Student Faces Backlash for Social Media Critique of July Uprising
Incident Overview
Dhaka: A madrasa student in Bangladesh has reportedly been assaulted due to a social media post that criticized the July uprising of 2024. This incident took place in Tongi, located in the Gazipur district near Dhaka, where local residents and fellow students forcibly cut his hair before turning him over to the authorities, as per local news sources on Thursday.
The Officer-in-Charge of Tongi West Police Station, Iskander Habibur Rahman, confirmed the incident, stating that the student had allegedly made an inappropriate comment on Facebook regarding the uprising. The event unfolded on the premises of the Tongi branch of Tamirul Millat Kamil Madrasa on Tuesday evening, leading to a case being filed against him.
Following the incident, the police presented the student to a local court on Wednesday afternoon, which subsequently ordered his detention.
"We have transferred him to the Tongi West Police Station for his safety and to address community concerns," said Saidul Islam, the General Secretary of the madrasa's student council, while speaking to local media.
"Given the sensitivity of the situation, we deemed it necessary to involve the police to maintain public order. The police will proceed with the necessary legal actions," added Hifazur Rahman, the Principal of the madrasa.
In a related development, a coalition of 88 expatriate journalists, writers, researchers, and cultural and rights advocates expressed serious concerns regarding the ongoing repression of journalists and the curtailment of free speech in Bangladesh under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus.
In a collective statement, the group accused the Yunus administration of attempting to stifle freedom of expression by imposing various forms of control over both traditional and social media, labeling these actions as "shameful and repulsive."
Last year, beginning on July 1, Bangladesh experienced a tumultuous student movement advocating for reforms in the government job quota system, which ultimately resulted in the ousting of the democratically elected government of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The abrupt removal of Hasina in August, following the violent protests, was perceived internationally as a significant blow to the country's democratic framework, leading to a period marked by severe human rights violations and the suppression of free speech under the Yunus-led interim government.