In the annals of history, revolutions are often painted as the handiwork of shadowy forces, clandestine operatives, or foreign interventions. The recent claims by Mike Benz, a former U.S. official, and amplified by Elon Musk, that the Biden administration orchestrated the July Revolution in Bangladesh through the so-called ‘Deep State’, are not only baseless but also an insult to the millions of Bangladeshis who took to the streets to demand justice, freedom and an end to tyranny. This narrative, peddled by those who seek to undermine the organic nature of the uprising, is a desperate attempt to rewrite history and absolve the real culprits—Sheikh Hasina and her regime of butchers.

The July Revolution was not a product of foreign machinations or the whims of donor agencies like the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) or USAID. It was a spontaneous, grassroots movement born out of years of oppression, fascism and the brutal killings of innocent citizens by a regime that had long abandoned the principles of democracy.

History is replete with examples of spontaneous revolutions that erupted in response to tyranny and oppression. The French Revolution of 1789, often cited as the quintessential example of a people’s uprising, was not orchestrated by foreign powers or shadowy elites. It was the result of decades of economic hardship, social inequality and the absolute despotism of the monarchy. The storming of the Bastille was not a scripted event; it was the culmination of years of pent-up anger and frustration.

In both cases, the revolutions were organic, driven by the people’s desire for freedom, dignity and justice. The same can be said of Bangladesh’s July Revolution. It was a spontaneous uprising against a regime that had turned the country into a police state, where dissent was met with brutal force and the rule of law was replaced by the rule of the gun.

To understand the July Revolution, one must first understand the nature of Sheikh Hasina’s regime. Since coming to power in 2009, Hasina and her Awami League have systematically dismantled Bangladesh’s democratic institutions, silenced opposition voices and turned the country into a one-party state. The regime’s use of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and arbitrary arrests to suppress dissent has been well-documented by human rights organisations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

The regime’s brutality reached its peak in the months leading up to the July Revolution. In the name of ‘national security’, the government unleashed a wave of violence against its own citizens, targeting opposition activists, journalists and anyone who dared to speak out against the regime. The streets of Dhaka and other cities became battlegrounds, as security forces opened fire on unarmed protesters, killing hundreds and injuring thousands.

The regime’s response to the protests was reminiscent of some of the darkest chapters in human history. The massacre of innocent civilians, including children, by state security forces brought to mind the atrocities committed by the Nazis during the Holocaust, the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia and the military junta in Myanmar. The government’s attempt to downplay the death toll and dismiss the UN’s findings as ‘biased’ only added insult to injury.

In the age of social media and 24-hour news cycles, the role of the media in shaping public perception cannot be overstated. The July Revolution was not just a political uprising; it was also a media revolution. The images and videos of the protests, shared on platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, brought the brutality of the regime to the world’s attention and galvanised support for the revolution.

The revolution also drew inspiration from popular culture, particularly movies and TV series that depict the struggle against tyranny and oppression. The Netflix series Narcos, which chronicles the rise and fall of the Medellín Cartel, resonated with many Bangladeshis who saw parallels between the cartel’s use of violence and intimidation to maintain power and the tactics employed by Hasina’s regime. The HBO series Game of Thrones, with its themes of power, betrayal, and resistance, also struck a chord with those who saw themselves as the underdogs in a battle against a ruthless and corrupt regime.

The revolution also drew comparisons to movies like V for Vendetta, which depicts a dystopian future where a totalitarian regime rules with an iron fist, and the people rise up to reclaim their freedom. The iconic image of the Guy Fawkes mask, worn by the protagonist, became a symbol of resistance for many Bangladeshis who saw themselves as fighting against a similar form of tyranny. The claim that the July Revolution was orchestrated by the U.S. Deep State is not only baseless but also a distraction from the real issues at hand.

As Bangladesh moves forward, the focus must be on justice and accountability. The trials of former ministers and MPs, including Sheikh Hasina, must be conducted in a transparent and impartial manner, with due process and respect for the rule of law. The victims of the regime’s brutality, including the families of those who were killed, must be given a voice and a platform to share their stories.

As the dust settles and the country moves forward, the lessons of the July Revolution must not be forgotten. The blood of the innocent must not be in vain. The struggle for justice, freedom and democracy must continue, and the people of Bangladesh must remain vigilant against any attempts to undermine their hard-won gains.

In the words of the great Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore, “Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high, where knowledge is free, where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls, into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.” The July Revolution was a step towards that heaven of freedom. Let us not allow the conspiracy theories and distractions to take us away from that path.
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The writer is an academic, journalist and political analyst. He can be reached at [email protected]