Was Meher Afroz Shaon not an ally of the coup forces?

Opinion

Did Shaon’s statements not encourage people to stand against Sheikh Hasina? When Shaon and others turned against Sheikh Hasina, wasn’t that the moment Hasina’s strongest cultural support collapsed? Now, you arrest Shaon for her Facebook activism. What message are you trying to send?

Forcing everyone to echo your voice is the true definition of fascism. Is Yunus becoming Sheikh Hasina 2.0? Or has he already become so?

Remember, even within the Awami League, there were millions of activists against Sheikh Hasina. That opposition is precisely why she couldn’t hold on to power.

You used Shaon when she stood against Hasina, and now you arrest her when she stands against you. Did so many people sacrifice their lives for such duplicity?

The very reasons people turned against Sheikh Hasina are now the reasons they are turning against you. The ground beneath your feet, like Hasina’s, is also vanishing. At this rate, even you might need to resort to helicopters someday.

There’s only one path left for you: hold elections immediately and leave the country. The nation is overwhelmed with problems—skyrocketing prices, economic stagnation, rampant mob violence, and a surge in murders and crime. Yet, instead of addressing these issues, you focus on arresting Shaon.

I have no personal acquaintance with Shaon. Humayun Ahmed, her late husband, is someone I strongly dislike, as is his family—arguably one of the most decadent and confused families in Bangladesh. Yet, standing up for the rights of those we dislike is the essence of humanity, a quality increasingly lost in this country.

“Freedom of speech isn’t about saying sweet things loudly. It’s about being able to express bitter truths that shake someone’s world, truths they don’t want to hear. A mirror can show you pimples on your face, but you need freedom of speech to reveal the abscess on your back and its pus.”

—Mohiuddin Mohammad
Page 32, Book: *Murtibangha Prokolpo*