After the coup in Bangladesh, the situation has gradually changed. Aaj Tak is continuously reporting from the ground from Dhaka. A lot has changed in Bangladesh after August 5. There are protests on the streets during the day and demands for justice, but now even the nights of the country have become restless. Dhaka city may be sleeping during dark nights, but the city’s population is awake on the streets. The situation is not like this only in residential areas or on the streets, but youth are also keeping guard on the main roads. Students going to schools, colleges and universities are carrying sticks in their hands and wearing radium coated jackets and are performing duty to ensure smooth running of the traffic system. Also, they are keeping an eye on every person coming to the urban areas so that any anti-social element can enter the area.
People are still in fear of whatever happened on the streets of Bangladesh in the past. That fear has taken away both sleep and peace from Bangladesh. After the violence in Old Dhaka City, local people, especially the youth, patrol their areas throughout the night. Also, every vehicle coming into the area is searched, so that no weapon or such things can reach the residential areas. So that miscreants cannot target people and minorities.
Minorities took up the responsibility of their own security
After the brutality against minority Hindus in Bangladesh, Hindus have taken up the responsibility of their own security. The minority Hindus living in the Old City area are keeping vigil throughout the night. Outside the Hindu colony, the youth of the community are patrolling the roads leading to their colony with sticks in their hands. There is a fear that what happened to Hindu homes and temples in other areas of Bangladesh may not happen again. Some youth are keeping guard with sticks in their hands while some are roaming in the streets.
While talking to Aaj Tak, local youth Madan Ravidas said that among our 5 thousand population, we are guarding our settlement because the situation in Bangladesh has changed. Looting is taking place in the houses and temples of Hindus and hence we are keeping guard in the area and the temple at night. Madan Ravidas tells that by midnight we go out with sticks to patrol the main roads and the roads connecting the settlements and the vehicles coming and going from here are searched. Also, any person coming from outside is allowed to enter the area only after we interrogate him.
Local youth Charan Ravidas says that after Sheikh Hasina left the country on August 5, the situation has changed and a lot of injustice has happened against the minorities. Our sisters and daughters were treated unfairly in lakhs. That’s why we, along with our friends, go and keep vigil the whole night, so that our mother, sisters and our area remains safe.
People are waking up in every area
The picture is not only like this in the poor Hindu colonies, but generally the situation is the same in the areas of middle class and upper class people also. Despite all the comforts and facilities, the youth here have no sleep. With hockey sticks, iron rods and plastic rods in their hands, the youth have gone out on patrolling at night with their friends.
Ronnie says that we have created a WhatsApp group with our friends so that we can protect our area. Recently through our patrolling we came to know that a robbery had taken place in the area and within a few seconds we caught the dacoit. In this way the youth have caught many tax robbers and handed them over to the Army.
Ronnie says that the biggest reason behind the formation of this self-defense force is that we can protect our family and our area by patrolling, because law enforcement agency police are not on the streets at present and in such a situation, thieves and dacoits will take advantage of the opportunity.
Youth created WhatsApp group
Local youth along with their friends have also gone out on patrolling with iron rods and good sticks. Friends have formed a group through WhatsApp and go through the night in shifts. Wali says that we have had to take action to protect our community and our area. Yes, we have not slept since 5th August.
Search of vehicles coming into the area from the main road starts after midnight. When unknown people are interrogated, the items kept in the vehicle are also searched. Rahat says that it is necessary to do this so that no suspicious or social element comes to our area, because the situation in Bangladesh is currently tense.
Students are doing duty on the National Highway
BA first year student Islam Choudhary along with his group is stopping and searching the vehicles coming and going on the national highway. Vehicles coming from outside are stopped and interrogated.
Islam Chaudhary says that we keep an eye on suspicious people coming from outside so that no one comes into the city with weapons or suspicious objects because the situation in our Bangladesh is tense at present. The city streets are sleeping, but the youth are awake on these streets. There is no corner or area of Dhaka where students and local people are not seen patrolling the streets.
After August 5, sleep has disappeared from the eyes of these people. No one knows whether the situation will be fine, but there is definitely a fear in the mind that in such a situation, if people go to sleep peacefully in their homes, then fundamentalists or social elements will take away the peace of the country. In such a situation, the young generation of Bangladesh is sacrificing its sleep and guarding the streets.