Climate activism under an authoritarian regime in Bangladesh: Some Cases

Abstract

Environmental activism in Bangladesh has a long history and activists have long resisted the harmful development projects planned by the authoritarian government of the last two decades. The ‘Save Sunderbans’ movement showcases well the trajectory of an environmental movement against a disputed coal power plant and how the state power had ignored the public opinion against its establishment. My current research is, however, with the youth climate activists of Bangladesh who are inspired by the global environmental movement instigated by the Fridays For Future movement of Greta Thunberg. The climate movement in Bangladesh is to a large extent mediated by the government, as well as the INGOs and NGOs operative in the country working with climate action goals. There are therefore significant differences within the strategies and goals of the climate activists vis a vis other forms of environmentalism. In this paper I will look at the different modes of alliance (which also include international activist networks), negotiations and protest forms existent in the youth climate activist groups within the context of the past authoritarian regime. This will involve laying out the differences between environmental activism and climate activism in a country in the Global South, as well as the impact of an autocratic government on the youth engagement with climate action in a highly climate vulnerable country. My analysis will include case studies mentioned by the young activists where they navigated the difficult scenarios of activism involving state powers as well as the local authorities.