Dispatch from Dhaka: The Bangladesh government's Doosra has spun out of its control

Editor’s note: Bangladesh has been burning through July. Peaceful protests on university campuses early in the month, by students opposing a quota system for government jobs, spiralled into unrest across the country after the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, insulted the protesters and dismissed their concerns. Violence exploded when the student and youth wings of the ruling Awami League attacked protesters, with police action following on. On 20 July the government deployed the army and imposed a country-wide curfew to try and maintain order. As protests have continued in the streets, large numbers of people have been reported killed and thousands have been injured. 

Shahidul Alam, a renowned photojournalist, educator and activist based in Dhaka, has been documenting the protests and the government’s brutal reprisal. Alam has managed to get his dispatches out to the media despite an internet shutdown imposed to try and contain the protests, which has since been partially lifted. Himal Southasian is republishing these dispatches, which offer a picture of the situation inside Bangladesh even as the internet shutdown has severely restricted the outflow of information.

The events and circumstances described in the dispatches have been changing rapidly and there have been several developments since Alam penned each of them. The curfew has been partially lifted and internet connectivity has been partially restored, although it remains patchy and communication with many parts of the country remains difficult. The dispatches reflect the extent of violence and repression unleashed by the Sheikh Hasina government against its people. They have been lightly edited for clarity. 

Click here to read all dispatches.

Alam sent his fourth dispatch on 24 July 2024.

There is a particular type of bowling in cricket called the Googly or the Doosra. It is a rare spin ball  that sends you the wrong way, which only few bowlers have mastered. Good batsmen – and women – can tell from the bowler’s arm and wrist action which way the ball will spin and play accordingly. Except in the case of the deceptive Doosra. Many a famous scalp has been taken by the well-executed Doosra. In Bangladeshi politics, it is the spin doctors themselves who seem to be falling prey to the Doosra, with the outcome not going quite the way it was intended. 

Bangladeshi citizens have an unusual choice. The coming 48 hours (I began writing the piece in July 22) could be a ‘general holiday’ as declared by the government.