The 2024 student-public uprising in Bangladesh marked a pivotal moment in the nation’s history, a powerful expression of collective will against a repressive regime. This movement, characterized by mass protests and a unified demand for political reform, succeeded in toppling an increasingly authoritarian government. However, to fully appreciate the significance of this uprising, it is important to explore it through the lens of Hannah Arendt’s concept of ‘natality,’ which provides a deeper understanding of the implications and challenges that follow such a momentous event.
Arendt’s concept of natality, or the capacity to bring something new into the world, is a crucial tool for analyzing political action and transformation. For Arendt, political action is not merely about achieving freedom from oppression; it involves the creation of new possibilities and the establishment of a new political reality. This perspective challenges us to assess whether the 2024 uprising in Bangladesh was merely a symbolic break from an oppressive past or whether it represents a genuine effort to forge a new political future.
The uprising was a striking display of the power of collective action. The masses, driven by frustration with autocratic rule, censorship, and social injustice, mobilized to demand substantial changes. The fall of the regime was celebrated as a victory for democracy and an end to years of authoritarianism. The movement’s success in dismantling the old order reflects the capacity of a united populace to challenge entrenched power structures. In this sense, the uprising was a clear manifestation of liberation—a removal of the barriers that had stifled political and social freedom.
Yet, as........