What Is Happening in Bangladesh? - The Student Protests

At first I wasn't sure if I should make this video.

It didn't fit with the type of content I normally make and I wasn't sure if it was my place to talk about it.

But then, after reading so many messages, I realised I had to.

Right now in Bangladesh there are widespread protests, people are out in the streets campaigning together for one thing.

They have been shut down by the police, attacked with tear gas and the governments handling of the situation has sparked worldwide controversy.

So what one thing is so important that people are willing to go through all of this? Road safety. That's it, they wanted safer roads.

Now I was fortunate enough to visit Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh last year and met some wonderful, intelligent people there.

While the people were incredible, it's safe to say that the roads were notand I can fully understand how safer roads are needed.

This isn't about me though, so instead of putting my own spin on it, I'm just going to read a heart felt message that I had sent to my email.

The message I received in full:

Hi Jordan I know you have been to Bangladesh and I am sure you have seen how bad the traffic is. I am a citizen of Bangladesh and this is a plea for help.

On 29th of July 2018, two school going kids were killed be a reckless bus driver. Since then students in Bangladesh have been protesting for safer roads and stricter regulations, not just for themselves but for everyone in the country. Students along the age of 12-22 have since then taken over the streets of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, regulating traffic and checking vehicles for valid driving licenses. The intention behind this was never to harm anymore. It still is not.

But police and a bunch of goons hired by the current political party in power, tortured students with tear gas and rubber bullets. One guy got his eye gouged out. A photographer got his head busted and his camera broken. The goons are attacking students, brutally beating them up and women are molested and raped. Multiple people have been murdered. Theses students are completely unarmed and have nothing to protect themselves from these goons who are attacking them with steel rods and chased them down the roads ripping their clothes and busting their heads open.

The police are doing nothing to protect these children who asked nothing more than safer roads so no one will die in an accident again. A basic human right as a citizen of what we used to once call an independent country!

The government and the media is sitting silently and doing nothing either. The government is denying all allegations. To stop us from getting international coverage, the government has also blocked mobile internet access.

WE NEED YOUR HELP! PLEASE! HELP US SPREAD THE WORD AND BRING JUSTICE!

• From A Bangladesh Citizen

They started off asking for safer, more regulated roads and now perhaps even more importantly they're asking for a voice, both of which are being denied to them.

Now imagine if you felt an injustice so strongly that you needed to share it with the world and then you had your access to the internet, your connection to the outside world, your VOICE taken away from you.

That's why I made this video, without agenda, to give this Bangladeshi student and any others that feel this way their voice back.

And If this sparked your interest, if this made you feel an injustice too, then make sure to do more research, share this video, share other videos, other articles. Get it out there.

Everyone deserves a voice.

My video is at DLive