BANGLADESH PERSPECTIVE

Dhaka, July 23, 2026. Bangladeshi media, closely following every political tremor in neighboring India, describes the so-called "Cockroaches" movement as a familiar generational divide in South Asia: the distrust of young people towards perceived rigged exams and a power structure deemed indifferent to their anger. TBS and the Daily Star, leading publications in Dhaka, trace the origin of the movement to a remark by Chief Justice Surya Kant comparing young jobless individuals to "cockroaches" during an unrelated hearing in May, which sparked a wave of online mockery and the creation of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) by Abhijeet Dipke, a Boston University student who returned to India to organize the protests.

The catalyst remains the cancellation of the NEET, a medical school entrance exam taken by approximately two million students on May 3, after question leaks were discovered. A dozen student suicides have been linked to this cancellation, according to local media cited by TBS. A new exam was held in June, but the anger persists: protesters are demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and a reform of the exam system.

Bangladeshi coverage emphasizes the crackdown: over 5,000 protesters gathered at Jantar Mantar, a march towards Parliament dispersed on Monday by police using tear gas and batons, resulting in nearly 180 injuries — 118 police officers, 60 protesters — and 70 arrests, followed by ten formal complaints filed at various police stations. The CJP founder announced that the movement would no longer march on Parliament "to avoid further exposing the youth," while promising to continue occupying Jantar Mantar.

The articles also report on the involvement of the opposition: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav were briefly detained during a sit-in outside Narendra Modi's residence, with Gandhi denouncing "undemocratic methods" and labeling Modi as the "most anti-youth Prime Minister." Modi has promised "strict punishment" for those responsible for the leaks, describing them as a "grave sin," and the government has expressed willingness to debate the issue in Parliament.

For Dhaka's press, the episode illustrates how the legitimacy of national exams, a major social issue in South Asia, can undermine a solidly established power structure.