“Dhaka, Bangladesh – Fahmi*, 24, a former prominent figure on the campus of Dhaka University, has been in hiding since early August. He was a member of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student wing of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League (AL) party. Following a student-led movement in August, Hasina was ousted and forced to flee to India. The interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, declared the BCL a “terrorist organization” and banned it. Fahmi, an applied chemistry student, expressed regret for his involvement with the party and the violence that ensued. Many former AL-affiliated students like Fahmi are now facing uncertainty and fear for their safety. The government crackdown on protesters led to thousands of arrests and even deaths. The sudden collapse of Hasina’s regime left many former supporters vulnerable and exposed to violence. Fahmi, reflecting on his past choices, now feels abandoned by the party and faces an uncertain future. Thousands of other former AL-affiliated students are also in limbo, struggling to continue their education amid the political turmoil and violence. The ban on the BCL has led to further arrests and crackdowns on student activists across the country. The future remains uncertain for those who were once loyal to the party and now find themselves in hiding or facing arrest.”
