On 19 July 2024, BBC informed its listener that authorities in Bangladesh have imposed a nationwide curfew; after further rioting in the capital Dhaka left an additional 35 people dead but the exact death toll is difficult to assess due in part to an almost complete communications shutdown, with mobile internet and telephone lines reportedly down. The violence has been sparked by students’ calls for the government to axe a rule reserving scores of public jobs for the families of veterans of the country’s independence war in 1971. BBC further observed that the students are arguing that the quota system is discriminatory and are asking for recruitment based on merit. Critics say the system unfairly benefits the families of pro-government groups who support the current prime minister.

Other media sources such as UNB reported that despite the government’s acceptance of demands regarding quota reforms, a wave of violence and vandalism continues to sweep through various parts of the country. Report also suggests that miscreants are using ordinary students as shields while attacking, vandalising and setting fire to government and non-government establishments. The government has urged all individuals involved in these activities to cease immediately and refrain from further violence, emphasising the importance of maintaining peace and order in the country.

This poses a question-is it a revolt or a revolution? Student can revolt, express their opinion in a methodical way. They are passing the educational phase of their life. In this learning phase they need to learn-how to revolt? But when external force such as anti-independence group, who remain in Bangladeshi societies like a dormant volcano, join the student group and use them for their own political benefit, then this makes the situation worse. This group and their cocktail with other student groups hanker after for a revolution. Various image analysis suggests the involvement of groups other than the pro-independence group and also purely student group involved in this violent act.

Article 29(1) of Bangladesh’s 1972 Constitution says “There shall be equality of opportunity for all citizens in respect of employment or office in the service of the Republic.” However, under Article 29(3)(a), the state can make “special provisions in favour of any backward section…for the purpose of securing their adequate representation in the service of the Republic”. This is the message from the Bangladesh’s 1972 Constitution, which is in tune with the quota system available around the world. However, it is not a right like hereditary laws. So, a review will be needed-how to implement the article as delineated in the Constitution. BBC on 21 July 2024 reported that Bangladesh Supreme Court ordered that 93 per cent of public sector jobs should be recruited on merit, leaving 5 per cent for the children of the veterans of the country’s independence war. A remaining 2 per cent is reserved for people from ethnic minorities or with disabilities.

I suggest the pro-independence student group to think about Greek Philosopher Epictetus’s word. In his book Discourses Epictetus wrote, “Those who receive the bare theories immediately want to spew them, as an upset stomach does its food. First digest your theories and you won’t throw them up. Otherwise, they will be raw, spoiled and not nourishing. After you digested them, show us the changes in your reasoned choices, just like the shoulders of gymnasts display their diet and training, and as the craft of artisans show in what they have learned.” This means that Epictetus advices us to digest the information that we have received and then develop and demonstrate our reasoned choice otherwise it will be a waste of our time.

I also like to put forward some words from Roman Emperor and Philosopher Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations, which says that if we find ourself in a hole, stop digging. This means ‘just don’t make things worse’. Whatever happens, do not add angry or negative emotions to the equation. Do not react for the sake of reacting.

In the book The Better Angels of Our Nature Steven Pinker argued that overall violence in the world has declined. But the violence that we have seen in Bangladesh recently is unprecedented, which remain dormant and waiting to spew. Those who are involved in violence they should remember that this is not after all the end of democracy. But this is how democracy ends. Therefore, their action, reaction and inaction should be measured, targeted and achievable.

There are many success stories where Bangladesh’s democracy retains something of its youthful promise. It off and on suffers mid-life crisis. This requires some mitigation measures to be in place. Those who think that they are politically homeless, they need to look for Bangladesh constitution 1972 and its four pillars and reboot their political machine in tune with the Constitution.

We sometime observe in Bangladesh, when a crisis emerges, then the internet has been shut down. This, in my opinion, creates more problem than solution. World is running in a different mode nowadays. Yuval Noah Harari, in his book Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow argued that the digital revolution marks the true end of history, because it spells the demise of human agency as the primary determinant of social change. What will happen does not really depend on us. It will be shaped for us by machines. Harari believes, “Individuality, conscience, moral judgement and democratic choice will all become remnants of the historical past. That is what makes the future unknowable for the people we are now. Progress will be measured by the efficient use of information. Human experience will be reduced to a series of data point.” If this is the case, then one should harness this technology properly instead of hiding themselves or hiding others from digital information.

When existential question brings down to the level of bread-and-butter politics, then democracy thrives. Just infrastructure development in a country cannot solve the daily problem of the people. The issue is not just the economic growth of a country rather what count is how people feel about the politicians who are taking decisions on their behalf. Some political historians suggest that the basic question of representative democracy is- what do we think about those who are deciding for us. However, one should not underestimate that a dormant volcano is an existential threat. It has to be tacked head on.

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The writer is a UK based academic, advisor (Science & Environment), columnist and author