As Bangladesh prepares to head to the polls on February 12 for its first national election since the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2024, memories of past mass uprisings have resurfaced. One of the most significant among them is the 1990 Bangladesh Mass Uprising, a nationwide pro-democracy movement that ended nearly nine years of military-backed rule under General Hussain Muhammad Ershad.

Popularly referred to as the ‘90s Anti-Authoritarian Movement’, the uprising unfolded between October and December 1990 and evolved into a decisive challenge to authoritarian governance. The protests brought together students, political parties, professionals, and ordinary citizens in a rare display of unity, demanding the restoration of democratic rule and an end to military dominance in politics.

The roots of the movement traced back to March 1982, when Lieutenant General Hussain Muhammad Ershad, then Bangladesh’s army chief, seized power in a bloodless coup, overthrowing elected President Abdus Sattar of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Although Ershad later attempted to legitimise his rule by forming the Jatiya Party and holding elections in 1986, widespread allegations of manipulation and repression continued to fuel public anger.

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A defining moment came in November 1990 with the killing of Dr Shamsul Alam Khan Milon, a physician and prominent pro-democracy activist, who was shot dead near Dhaka University. His death triggered nationwide outrage, galvanising the movement and drawing tens of thousands to the streets despite curfews and the imposition of martial law.

Under relentless pressure from sustained protests and a united political opposition, Ershad resigned as president on December 6, 1990. He was arrested days later and subsequently convicted in multiple corruption cases, marking a dramatic fall from power for the military ruler.

The uprising ultimately paved the way for the 1991 general elections, widely seen as a turning point in Bangladesh’s political history. The polls restored parliamentary democracy, with the BNP emerging as the largest party, and brought an end to nearly a decade of military-backed governance—an episode that continues to shape Bangladesh’s democratic struggles today.

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