Mixed emotions among British-Bangladeshis following Sheikh Hasina's resignation

Protestors in Dhaka take on the streets despite curfew/ PTI

Sheikh Hasina's resignation and subsequent departure from her position as Prime Minister of Bangladesh elicited a mixed mix of happiness and concern among the British-Bangladeshi community in the United Kingdom. Many people rejoiced at the end of her 15-year reign, but others were concerned for the safety of their family and friends amid rising violence in Bangladesh, reported PTI.

According to the report, student groups at numerous UK colleges had organised rallies in support of student-led demonstrations in Bangladesh against the problematic job quota plan. This disturbance has recently developed into widespread anti-government sentiment. Many in the British-Bangladeshi restaurant industry, which serves as a key economic base for the over 650,000-strong diaspora, rejoiced at the Awami League's demise.

Babul Choudhury, manager of the popular Sonargaon restaurant in Whitechapel, welcomed the news as cause for jubilation. "We are very happy; it is our independence day," he stated. "We were out on the streets celebrating as soon as we received the news. Things can only improve now that we are fully free of the government," Choudhury further told the news agency.

According to the report, other restaurateurs, however, were cautious, expressing concern for their loved ones in the midst of the chaos. Sharif Islam, director of Whitechapel's Feast and Mishti buffet restaurant, stated, "We remain concerned about the situation in Bangladesh and are hopeful that things will improve over time."

As news of Hasina's resignation circulated, a demonstration arranged by the Union of Bangladeshi Students in the UK, headlined "Students Power Revolution," evolved into a celebration in Altab Ali Park. Students and members of the British-Bangladeshi community gathered to wave the Bangladeshi national flag and yell slogans against the deposed regime, the report added.

According to the report, the National Union of Students UK (NUSUK) voiced sympathy with Bangladeshi student demonstrators and reaffirmed their right to peaceful protest. They emphasised the importance of worldwide solidarity in opposing repression.

Human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, denounced the government's brutal response to the protests in Bangladesh and advocated for changes to the contentious job quota system, which reserves 30 per cent of government jobs for the descendants of independence war veterans. Protesters say that this method unfairly benefits supporters of the ruling party, the report added.

Rupa Huq, a British Bangladeshi Labour MP, highlighted parallels between Bangladesh's student-led pro-democracy protests and historical events, citing the destruction of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's statue by demonstrators in Dhaka.

The spotlight is now on Sheikh Hasina's probable retreat, namely whether she will see her niece, UK government politician Tulip Siddiq, in London. The UK Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, has asked for a UN-led probe into the recent violence, which might hold Hasina accountable and hinder her chances for political asylum in the UK. Rahul Roy-Chaudhury, a senior scholar at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London, discussed the ramifications for the British government, the report added.