Mír Abdul Alim 

The sudden fall of Sheikh Hasina or the tragic fate of Nepal’s heads of state sends a singular, unmistakable message to today’s world: no ruler can commit state crimes and remain untouchable. Any ruler who believes that repression and oppression can secure eternal power is repeatedly proven wrong by history. The era has changed. The youth no longer remain silent. Through social media, they are vocal, organized, and resilient. No crime, no oppression, no falsehood can be hidden today; the truth travels instantly to the global stage. International pressure mounts, internal unrest escalates, and the era of consolidating injustice in the name of governance is over.

Blinded by the lure of power, some rulers think fear, military and police forces, and propaganda machinery can keep the populace permanently subdued. Reality, however, is starkly different. No one has ever survived long-term by committing state crimes. From the bloody chapters of the French Revolution to the collapse of the Soviet Union, from the end of apartheid in South Africa to the Arab Spring, every historical instance demonstrates that unjust regimes eventually crumble. In today’s world, this truth is even more unforgiving. The rapid flow of information exposes every state crime on social media, presenting it naked before the world. International pressure, public protest, and the unyielding voice of youth form a threefold force before which no repressive policy endures. Therefore, the only path to sustainable governance is clear: stand with the people, uphold good governance, and prioritize justice and transparency. Any alternative path only leads to the flames of rebellion, where the arrogance of power is incinerated, and history ruthlessly asserts that injustice has no permanence.

History’s Verdict is Clear: History is the most uncompromising judge. A ruler may temporarily suppress wrongdoing, but time immortalizes their name in the list of offenders. Emperor Nero burned Rome, believing his luxurious rule would last. Yet public hatred drove him to suicide. King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette fell in the French Revolution because they ignored the hunger and suffering of their people. The Russian Tsars collapsed for similar reasons. When the populace is starved, oppressed, and terrorized, even the most fortified power structures collapse instantaneously. Bangladesh itself provides no exception. In 1971, the Pakistani military conducted mass killings, yet the Liberation War defeated them. After the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, military rulers assumed power would last indefinitely, only to be removed by public pressure. Similarly, the oppressive policies and state crimes during Sheikh Hasina’s long tenure planted the seeds of her eventual downfall. The historical verdict is clear: no criminal ruler endures.

Technology and Social Media Make Hiding the Truth Impossible: Today’s world is a “digital village.” Bangladesh alone has over 130 million internet users, with tens of millions active on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram. No matter how much a state seeks to control information, it is no longer feasible. During the 2018 Road Safety Movement, teenagers captured incidents on mobile cameras and disseminated them across social media, sparking nationwide outrage. Governments scrambled to control narratives, yet the footage reached the public. Similar dynamics played out during the 2024–25 protests: videos of students being shot, tortured, or subjected to police brutality circulated instantly, igniting mass anger. Even when the internet was shut down, information leaked internationally through alternate channels. Thus, hiding state crimes is impossible. Beyond Bangladesh, the Arab Spring demonstrated the decisive role of information: social media played a critical role in the fall of Mubarak in Egypt and Gaddafi in Libya. In the current era, committing state crimes ensures exposure to both the public and the international community.

The Harsh Reality of State Crimes Under Sheikh Hasina: Analyzing Sheikh Hasina’s long tenure reveals a period marked not merely by politics but by systematic state crimes. According to Human Rights Watch, from 2009–2023, at least 600 people were forcibly disappeared in Bangladesh, with many never found. The U.S. sanctions attest to RAB’s use as an instrument of oppression. The Digital Security Act became another weapon to suppress dissent. Journalists like Shafiqul Islam Kajol, cartoonist Kishore, and many others faced arrest, torture, or disappearance. During the 2024 protests, state forces and ruling party cadres openly fired on citizens. Reports from human rights organizations confirm hundreds of deaths. These acts were not isolated incidents; they reflected official policy. Consequently, public outrage exploded, rendering all attempts at suppression ineffective. Sheikh Hasina’s fall demonstrates that state crimes, while temporarily a tool of power, ultimately become the architect of downfall.

Nepal’s Rebellion and the Regional Message: Looking beyond Bangladesh, Nepal’s recent uprisings offer the same lesson. Protests sparked by fuel price hikes and corruption quickly escalated into a nationwide anti-state revolt, resulting in hundreds of deaths and thousands injured. Despite the country’s mountainous and challenging terrain, the people could not be suppressed. Once public anger ignites, no river or mountain can hold it back. For Bangladesh, this is a regional lesson: the collapse or rebellion in neighboring states inevitably has ripple effects. Sri Lanka’s economic crisis had already served as a warning. Nepal’s rebellion reinforces the truth: if a state fails to deliver good governance, its citizens will inevitably rise.

Public Unity vs. Repression: The fundamental aim of state crimes is to instill fear. Yet history demonstrates that fear never lasts. Repression unites the people further. Movements like the quota reform protests and the 2024–25 student uprising in Bangladesh show that youth were not intimidated; they became more organized. Through Facebook groups, WhatsApp, and Telegram, they mobilized rapidly, often gathering thousands on the streets within hours. Government crackdowns, arrests, and violence only strengthened public solidarity.

The Youth Are the True Custodians of the State’s Future: The state’s future lies in the hands of its youth. Around 40% of Bangladesh’s population is young, representing enormous potential. Denying them employment, providing a corrupt education system, or perpetuating societal inequality inevitably transforms their frustration into protest. Youth rarely bow to injustice; they are the most formidable agents of change. In the 2018 road protests, teenagers led a nationwide awakening. Similarly, in 2024–25, students and unemployed youth spearheaded movements, sometimes sacrificing their lives. Modern technology amplifies their power—they organize quickly, disseminate information globally, and reach international audiences. Ignoring this force is tantamount to inviting national collapse.

Limitations of State Apparatus: Governments often believe that armies and police can permanently suppress the populace. Numbers prove otherwise. Bangladesh has approximately 200,000 police and 150,000 military personnel against 180 million citizens. Once citizens take to the streets, these limited forces are ineffective. Historical precedents, like the Soviet collapse, show soldiers refusing to fire on their own people. In Bangladesh, many police officers have demonstrated sympathy for citizens, failing to enforce repressive commands. State crimes alone cannot sustain power.

The Persistence of Public Memory: Rulers often assume people will forget over time. Yet public memory is long and indelible. Families of the disappeared have campaigned for decades through courts, streets, and demonstrations, demanding justice. Their grief and protest intensify over time. Similar movements in Argentina for the disappeared persisted across decades. In Bangladesh, these memories keep state crimes alive, ultimately propelling rulers toward downfall.

International Pressure and Diplomacy: Today’s world is globalized; no state operates in isolation. Human rights violations reach the UN, the European Union, and the United States within hours. During Sheikh Hasina’s government, the U.S. imposed visa restrictions and sanctions on RAB. The EU repeatedly expressed concern. Apartheid in South Africa fell under international pressure. Likewise, Nepal’s rebellion, broadcast internationally, left the country diplomatically isolated. State crimes weaken rulers both domestically and globally.

Good Governance is the Only Path to Sustaining the State: No state can endure long-term through force or repression alone. A sustainable foundation arises when citizens perceive the state as their own and trust it. Economic growth or mega-projects may temporarily mislead public perception, but denying citizens’ rights erodes trust. Bangladesh has long ranked low on Transparency International’s corruption index, reflecting systemic rot. When injustice, corruption, inequality, and repression rise together, deep-seated public resentment accumulates. Good governance is not merely economic; it ensures justice, equality, accountability, and transparency. Only then will citizens support the state. Otherwise, collapse is inevitable.

The Inevitability of Rebellion: Persistent injustice inevitably sparks rebellion. This is not coincidental; it is a historical certainty. The French Revolution, the Russian Revolution, and the Vietnamese struggle all emerged from state oppression and injustice. Repression may temporarily silence citizens, but pent-up frustration inevitably erupts. In the 2024–25 movement, hundreds died, yet the people did not retreat. On the contrary, the blood of martyrs intensified the movement. The government’s use of force could not stop the wave. Fear politics never lasts; when public anger explodes, no army or tank can contain it. Rebellion is not a possibility—it is inevitable.

The Irresistible Power of Media and Information: Controlling information fully is nearly impossible today. Domestic media may be censored, yet international outlets and social media expose state crimes. The 2024 protests, with videos of police shootings, bloodied students, and women in distress, reached global audiences. Attempts to label these as “rumors” failed; truth cannot be hidden. Social media platforms amplify these realities. Even a single teenager’s phone camera can expose government propaganda. Information flows today are unstoppable, encouraging citizens to mobilize.

A Clear Warning to Rulers: History consistently delivers stark warnings. No ruler has retained power long-term through fear alone. South Asia provides ample examples. Gotabaya Rajapaksa in Sri Lanka assumed military and fear tactics would secure his position, but public revolt forced him to flee. Imran Khan in Pakistan lost office yet retained public support, growing in popularity. Sheikh Hasina’s fall sends the same message: reliance on force, repression, and controlled media fails when public anger peaks. For South Asian leaders, the lesson is clear: power endures only through accountability and good governance.

The Inevitability of People’s Victory: History consistently favors the people. Citizens may remain silent for long periods, bearing injustice, yet ultimately, they prevail. From the French Revolution to India’s independence struggle, from Mandela’s South Africa to Bangladesh’s Liberation War of 1971, people have toppled oppressive regimes. The state cannot remain above its citizens. Trust, support, and sacrifice from the people sustain a nation. When citizens withdraw their support, collapse is inevitable. Reality is clear: people’s power is the ultimate force. Citizens are the true owners of the state. History has repeatedly proven, and will continue to prove, that the victory of the people is inevitable.

Conclusion: Today’s world is exceedingly transparent. Technology, social media, international diplomacy, and collective memory make hiding state crimes impossible. The fall of Sheikh Hasina and the rebellion in Nepal deliver a clear lesson: without good governance, power cannot endure. The advice is unequivocal: rulers who rely on fear and repression forget history’s lessons. The harsher the repression, the stronger the public resistance. Aspirants to power should also remember: perpetuating oppressive policies ensures the same fate awaits them. The only path for governance is good administration—justice, anti-corruption, equal rights, and public service at every institutional level.

The message is clear for all rulers: govern well. Otherwise, the people will revolt, and no one will escape the verdict.

The writer is a journalist, social researcher, Secretary-General of Columnist Forum of Bangladesh. www.mirabdulalim.com