It is not footage of soldiers fighting an enemy in some distant territory; it is the Bangladeshi Army shooting at innocent, unarmed protesters in the recent quota movement. These disturbing scenes of violence reveal the government’s brutal crackdown on its own citizens, who are primarily students with an average age under 20. The footage shows the army using UN vehicles to quell the protests, a grim irony considering Bangladesh’s prominent role in UN peacekeeping missions.
A single statement from the UN resident in Bangladesh is the only action taken by the international body. This is not enough. The world must question how an army capable of such domestic atrocities can be trusted to maintain peace in other countries.
