New Delhi:
The fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria and his hasty departure from Damascus have striking parallels with the chaotic events that unfolded in Bangladesh earlier this year when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to flee the country amid widespread protests.
Yesterday, Syrian rebels captured the capital Damascus, forcing President Bashar al-Assad to flee to Russia. This marked a turnaround in the long civil war in Syria, which had ravaged the country for more than a decade. The collapse of Assad's government came after a series of military setbacks, including the desertion of key military officers and the disintegration of Syria's defense lines. His departure marked the end of a 24-year autocratic rule.
Similarly, in Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina was forced to flee the country in August after violent protests broke out over the government's reintroduction of a controversial labor quota system. The unrest escalated as the government's brutal response killed hundreds of people and led to a significant erosion of political support, forcing Sheikh Hasina to resign.
After Assad fled, his family's palaces were quickly overrun by rebels. The Al-Rawda and Muhajreen presidential palaces, once symbols of Assad's power, became places of looting and vandalism. Rebel groups poured into these grand buildings, taking photos in the richly decorated rooms, dragging away furniture and scattering belongings across the marble floors. Objects such as chairs, vases and precious ornaments were seized as symbols of the regime's fall. Storerooms for valuable remains of the fallen government were looted.
This scene of rebellion mirrors the events in Bangladesh in August. As Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka, protesters stormed her residence, Ganabhaban, looting food, kitchen items and furniture. Personal belongings, including saris, a Dior suitcase and even a replica of the Hilsa fish, Bangladesh's national symbol, were taken or destroyed. A viral image showed a man lying on Hasina's bed declaring that the building was “under our control.”
This Sunday, the US launched a series of airstrikes on Islamic State (ISIS) positions in Syria, following the fall of the Syrian government. After the capture of Damascus, reports confirmed that Bashar al-Assad, along with his family, fled to Moscow and were granted asylum by the Russian government. It marked an end to the Assad family's six-decade rule over Syria.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leader Abu Mohammed al-Jolani also addressed a crowd in Damascus on Sunday. He said: “After this great victory, my brothers, a new history is being written in the entire region.” The rebels began their offensive on November 27, the same day a ceasefire was declared in neighboring Lebanon, where Israel was locked in a conflict with the Iran-backed Hezbollah.
