Student leaders in Bangladesh made a significant demand on Tuesday, calling for Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus to take charge as the leader of a caretaker government, just a day after the military assumed control of the nation following mass protests that forced the long-time ruler Sheikh Hasina to flee the country. This demand came amid a tumultuous political landscape that has seen dramatic shifts in power and a surge of public discontent.
Sheikh Hasina, aged 76, had been a dominant figure in Bangladeshi politics since she took office in 2009. However, her administration faced serious accusations of electoral fraud during the elections held in January, which sparked widespread unrest. Over the past month, millions of citizens took to the streets demanding her resignation, expressing their frustration and discontent with her leadership and the state of governance in the country.
The situation escalated to a point where hundreds of individuals lost their lives as security forces attempted to suppress the mass protests. However, rather than quieting the discontent, these measures only fueled the protests further. Ultimately, on Monday, Hasina was forced to escape aboard a military helicopter after it became clear that the military, which had previously supported her administration, had turned against her.
Following these events, Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman announced the military’s decision to form an interim government, declaring that it was “time to stop the violence” that had plagued the country. In a significant development on Tuesday, the president moved to dissolve parliament, a key demand put forth by the student leaders and the major opposition party, the Bangladesh National Party (BNP), which has called for elections to be held within a three-month timeframe.
In the evolving political landscape, Waker is anticipated to hold discussions with student leaders to address their request for Yunus, who is 84 years old and widely respected for his work in microfinance, to lead the new government. In a move that seems designed to solidify their control, the military also conducted a reshuffle of several top generals on Tuesday, demoting some individuals who were loyal to Hasina and dismissing Ziaul Ahsan, who was a commander of the Rapid Action Battalion, a notorious paramilitary force that has faced sanctions from the United States due to its human rights record.
Moreover, the former prime minister and BNP chairperson, Khaleda Zia, aged 78, was released from years of house arrest, according to statements from both the presidency and her political party. This release is seen as a significant development amidst the ongoing political crisis.
Reflecting the sentiment of the student leaders, Asif Mahmud, a prominent figure in the Students Against Discrimination (SAD) group, expressed confidence in Yunus on Facebook, stating, “In Dr. Yunus, we trust.” While Yunus himself has not yet publicly commented on the students’ call for him to assume a leadership role, he did assert in a recent interview with India’s The Print that the people of Bangladesh now “feel liberated,” highlighting a growing sense of hope among the populace.
On the streets of the capital city, Dhaka, a certain degree of normalcy returned on Tuesday, with traffic gradually resuming, shops reopening, and international flights beginning to land and depart at the city’s airport. However, government offices remained largely shut the day after the violent chaos witnessed, which resulted in the tragic deaths of at least 122 individuals.
In the wake of the military’s announcement on Monday, millions of Bangladeshi citizens poured into the streets of Dhaka to celebrate what they viewed as a significant victory over an authoritarian regime, and jubilant crowds even surged into Prime Minister Hasina’s official residence, storming and looting it in a fervor of excitement and retribution.
One young protestor, Sazid Ahnaf, 21, summed up the prevailing sentiment, declaring, “We have been freed from a dictatorship,” drawing parallels between the current upheaval and the independence war that led to the nation’s split from Pakistan over five decades ago.
While celebrations erupted in some areas, there were also scenes of chaos and immense anger directed toward Hasina’s supporters. Police reported instances of mobs executing reprisal attacks against Hasina’s allies and even against their own officers, reflecting the deeply divided sentiments currently existing within society.
Monday was marked as the deadliest day since the onset of protests began earlier in July, with reports indicating that an additional 10 people were killed on Tuesday. This brought the overall toll of the unrest to at least 432, based on an AFP tally derived from police reports, government sources, and accounts from medical staff at local hospitals.
The intensity of the protests escalated to the point where demonstrators broke into parliament buildings and set fire to media stations. They also vandalized statues of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who is revered as Bangladesh’s independence hero and father of Hasina. A museum dedicated to the former leader met the same fate, reduced to ashes in a scene that was almost unthinkable just hours before when Hasina’s government still enjoyed the loyalty of the state’s military forces.
In a troubling turn of events, various businesses and residential areas owned by members of the Hindu community — a demographic perceived as supportive of Hasina’s government by some factions within the Muslim-majority population — were also targeted and attacked, as reported by witnesses on the ground.
European diplomats stationed in Bangladesh expressed their strong concern on Tuesday regarding the troubling reports of violence directed towards religious, ethnic, and other minority groups amidst the ongoing unrest and political turmoil. These diplomatic circles have been increasingly vocal about their apprehensions regarding the deteriorating human rights conditions in the country.
Additionally, significant police unions announced that their members had initiated a strike, declaring it would continue until the safety and security of all police personnel were guaranteed. They extended an “apology” for the police’s actions taken against the protesters during the recent chaos and violence.
In the northern Sherpur district, a large mob executed a dramatic breakout from a local prison late Monday, enabling all 518 inmates to escape, as confirmed by police chief Akramul Hossain in a statement to AFP.
The unrest originally began in response to grievances concerning civil service job quotas but rapidly evolved into more extensive demands for Hasina to relinquish her position. Numerous human rights organizations accused her administration of abusing state power to maintain its hold on the political landscape and suppress dissent, employing various means including the extrajudicial killing of opposition members.
As the crisis continued, mothers of some of the countless political prisoners allegedly held in secrecy under Hasina’s governance sought answers outside a military intelligence facility in Dhaka on Tuesday. Sanjida Islam Tulee, who coordinates “The Call of the Mothers,” a group advocating for the release of detainees, voiced her desperation for clarity regarding the fate of their loved ones, saying, “We need answers.”
The situation remains precarious for the ousted leader, Sheikh Hasina, who is currently reported to be in India. Uncertainty looms regarding her future as sources indicate that she is considering seeking asylum in London, yet recent calls from the British government for a United Nations-led investigation into the ongoing violent events have cast doubt on her prospects for safety and refuge.
Thomas Kean from the International Crisis Group highlighted the challenges facing the newly installed authorities, stating, “The interim government that will now assume power… needs to embark on the long task of rebuilding democracy in Bangladesh, which has been so badly eroded in recent years.” The road ahead will likely be fraught with difficulty as the nation grapples with its tumultuous past and seeks a more stable future.
