In July and August of 2024, Bangladesh experienced widespread protests leading to the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina government. While initial narratives attributed the unrest to factors like soaring food prices, electoral rights suppression, and public discontent, a deeper understanding of the events requires a nuanced approach that transcends simplistic dichotomies. The Actor-Network Theory (ANT), championed by intellectuals such as Bruno Latour, Michel Callon, and John Law, provides a valuable framework for this analysis.
The ANT methodology diverges from traditional analyses focused on centralized actors, instead spotlighting the intricate interactions among diverse human and non-human elements, each contributing to the unfolding events. Revolutions, according to ANT, are not solely the product of human agency but arise from the dynamic interplay of various entities, including technologies, infrastructures, discourses, and material objects. By mapping the alignments and disruptions of these actors over time, ANT illuminates the political landscape as a fluid and interconnected system, constantly susceptible to transformation.
The events in July and August 2024 can be best understood as a complex network of actors converging across multiple domains such as emotions, infrastructure, economy, and storytelling, rather than a mere coincidence of calamities. The uprising was not a series of isolated decisions but a collective outcome of intertwined forces acting in synergy and contradiction. Streets became platforms where crowds moved in a quasi-coordinated manner, influenced by announcements through loudspeakers, updates on various platforms, or the dispersal caused by police interventions.
Through an ANT lens, the uprising emerges as a networked phenomenon, uniting both familiar and unexpected actors. Beyond university students and laborers, elements like surging rice prices, social media trends, and climate events played active roles in shaping the trajectory of dissent. ANT’s recognition of the agency of non-human elements underscores how factors like social media hashtags, physical barriers, and even weather conditions influenced the dynamics of the protests.
Even the spatial dynamics of the protests carried significance within the ANT framework, with intersections and government buildings symbolically occupied to convey messages without words. Roads, curfews, and blockades were not mere physical entities but active participants in the unfolding drama, reshaping notions of visibility and solidarity in real-time.
Central to ANT is the concept of “translation,” where actors enlist others into the network, often redefining roles and objectives in the process. The uprising was not driven by a unified ideology but by the strategic fusion of diverse grievances under common banners like “Down with Hasina,” encapsulating demands ranging from electoral reforms to labor rights. The interim government that emerged post-uprising represented a fluid entity within this network, subject to continual negotiation and evolution.
The aftermath of the uprising witnessed competing visions for the future of Bangladesh, reflecting the dynamic nature of networks and the ongoing negotiation of power dynamics. ANT underscores that these divergences do not weaken the network but underscore its vitality and adaptability. The stability of the Hasina regime relied on a network of factors, including security forces, economic ties, and digital surveillance, which began unraveling as defections and international pressures mounted.
Simultaneously, the protest networks extended globally, with diaspora activism and international interventions reshaping the local landscape. The role of technology as a mediating force cannot be understated, influencing information dissemination and resistance strategies. The breakdown of infrastructural systems also served as acts of resistance, challenging the regime’s authority and efficiency.
In the ANT framework, these disruptions are not incidental but pivotal in recalibrating power dynamics. By acknowledging the political agency of seemingly mundane occurrences like power outages or supply chain disruptions, ANT reveals the infrastructural underpinnings of political movements, emphasizing the interconnectedness of material and ideological elements.
ANT’s analysis of the uprising in Bangladesh offers a dynamic portrayal of the events as a network of evolving connections rather than a linear progression led by individuals or ideologies. By focusing on the collective agency of humans and non-humans, ANT illustrates how the uprising was a multifaceted interplay of various elements, constantly reshaping the contours of political possibility. Rather than seeking definitive answers or conclusions, ANT encourages a continuous engagement with the provisional and evolving nature of political transformations.
In conclusion, ANT provides a methodological approach to understanding the complexities of political upheavals, emphasizing the fluidity and interdependence of networks in shaping societal change. By recognizing the diverse actors and forces at play, ANT offers insights into the emergent possibilities and challenges within evolving political landscapes.