How we make a terrible country filled with incredible meme content

In Bangladesh, there is hardly a week that goes by without witnessing some of the most absurd and hilarious incidents happening around us. Starting from politicians making the stupidest statements every day to some Fast & Furious-style chase on the expressway, everything keeps reminding us of the terrible place we live in—and what incredible meme content it indeed is.

Social media is always buzzing with posts and captions that highlight the ludicrousness of the most random things happening around us in the country.

Let me highlight some of them here, and I am sure the readers can fill up the comments with more that I may have skipped mentioning.

Blocking major road intersections whenever there's 'a demand' from the public

Let's face it: having problems, standing against them, raising your voice – that's all good and justified, but why do you have to do it by standing on the most major intersections of the city streets? Just why? Why do you have to put the common people – who are not part of your protest – in stress just because you want to make a point? As if the traffic jam isn't painful enough.

Almost every few days, some group makes some sort of demand, and they just have to pick the busiest streets to run their protests. Then there are the people in those groups – some who don't even know why they're there – who are just there for the hype, that's it. Then the reporters interview people randomly, and then come the memes. It's just a cycle.

Even a week ago, on July 22, while students were at the Bangladesh Secretariat demanding the resignation of Education Adviser C. R. Abrar, the police picked up one student from the crowd and took him to the side just to ask if he could spell the word 'Secretariat.'

Ramna Division Deputy Commissioner of Police (DC) Masud Alam, who was present there at the time, told the student, "I will let you go if you can spell Secretariat in English." The media was present at the spot; therefore, clips of that video went viral on social media. What's even more ridiculous is that the student tried to spell it and said, "Secetary." Then DC Masud correctly spelled the word out for him and added, "You are turning everything upside down. If you can't spell it, then how will I let you go?" Although he eventually let him go.

Forcing school students to skip classes and attend rally

On July 20, students of Bindubashini Govt. Boys High School in Tangail alleged that they were forced to skip classes for the "July Rally" announced by the National Citizens Party (NCP) with the aim of building the country.

A 10th grader even said, "We don't even have the right to vote, but why should we be taken to political events? We protest against this."

Looks like protests are never-ending nowadays.

Drug dealers & Kishore Gang forming human chain to keep police officer at station

Yes, this actually happened.

On July 28, a counter-demonstration human chain was formed against the removal of the Officer-in-Charge (OC) at Mohammadpur Police Station in Dhaka. This human chain was formed to counter the protest by local students and the public that was previously staged demanding the removal of the OC.

The human chain reportedly included top drug dealers from Geneva Camp and members of a local Kishore Gang. This raises serious questions about who is backing the police and for what reasons.

Heroin worth 10 lakh taka was seized, but no case was filed, leading to allegations about the OC's role in the incident. Multiple media outlets reported on this matter.

Several drug dealers – with the most ridiculous names and family trees – including Iqbal alias Koshai Iqbal, Momtaz Ashrafi, Irfan alias Charku Irfan, Chua Selim, Yaba Rubel, Sumon's mother Sakina, Lengra Bechu, and Kishore Gang members including Haat Bhanga Rakib from 'Kobji Kata Group' of Mohammadpur.

I mean, what in the Discord gaming group are these nicknames? At least the family members don't have silly nicknames; they just go by Father, Mother, or In-laws.

Political leaders questioning why Hasina isn't being pushed into Bangladesh from India

On July 28, BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi said India is forcibly pushing Bengali-speaking Muslims into Bangladesh, but it is unclear why the neighbouring country is not pushing ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina back.

"She is a Bangladeshi Muslim. Why is she not pushed back into Bangladesh? The criminals who fled to India aren't being pushed back either," he said while addressing an event at the BNP's Nayapaltan office in Dhaka.

Keep in mind, the party's acting chairman, Tarique Rahman, still hasn't returned to the country despite having clearance from the government. Should someone just push him in, perhaps?

Political leaders claiming they turned blue with grief

What, like the Avatar?

On Monday (July 28), BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said, "I have turned blue with grief at the news of coordinators demanding extortion. This is the situation just one year after the popular uprising! The very youth who will build the country are now extorting. Did we want such an outcome?"

Earlier, five youths were caught red-handed while trying to extort money from a house in the capital's Gulshan, posing as coordinators. They attempted to extort money from the house of a former Awami League MP.

Real RAB chases fake RAB; both sides get beaten by angry locals

On July 28, five men impersonating RAB members were caught by locals on the Dhaka-Khulna highway at Joy Bangla intersection in Char Jashordi union, Faridpur.

Firstly, suspicious residents stopped the first microbus by placing a tree on the highway after noticing the occupants weren't wearing proper RAB uniforms, despite claiming to be RAB personnel.

Secondly, when actual RAB members arrived in a second microbus to apprehend the imposters, angry locals also attacked them, mistaking them for additional fake officers since some weren't in uniform.

What's even worse is, local police and RAB officials (actual officials, yes) eventually arrived to calm the situation and rescue both the genuine RAB team and the imposters, with all parties taken to Nagarkanda Police Station around 8:30 PM before being transferred to Srinagar Police Station in Munshiganj.

Ousted political leaders taking money to arrange talks with Hasina, on Telegram

According to Indian news channel NEWS18, the Awami League has established multiple Telegram groups with 20–30k members each, hosting daily discussion meetings from 9 PM until late night over the past year.

Money is being demanded from party members for the opportunity to speak first during Telegram group calls with former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India following student uprisings.

Obaidul Quader, Awami League's General Secretary, has been accused by party sources of using Telegram for "economic scams" rather than party welfare, arranging paid virtual meetings with Sheikh Hasina and operating multiple groups to maintain political relevance.

Police officer claims to use cheap phone and advises everyone not to walk around with expensive phones to save themselves from getting mugged

On July 24, a journalist named Ahmad Wadud was robbed and beaten with a machete at Mohammadpur Beribadh intersection around 11 PM. Robbers stole his phone, wallet, and money, whilst his wife remained unharmed.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) Ali Iftekhar Hasan victim-blamed the journalist, stating: "Even though I am the OC, I use this cheap phone. If you walk around with such an expensive phone, you will definitely get robbed!"

Sub-Inspector (SI) Jasim showed reluctance to investigate, asking: "Will the robbers be sitting there? Don't you have any common sense?"

The victim was forced to write his own complaint and wasn't given a copy.

The journalist's Facebook post about the incident went viral, sparking public outrage over police behaviour. Two policemen have been suspended following the incident. Three suspects were eventually arrested, and the stolen mobile phone was recovered as well.

Mohammadpur things, eh?