The violent protests in Bangladesh managed to topple Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government as she resigned and fled to India on 5 August. The army intervened by taking control of the country and announced that they would form an interim government. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus will be heading the interim government, which is set to take oath on the night of 8 August, as reported by local media. Even after the Supreme Court gave a verdict on 21 July, stating that the reinstatement of the quota system was cancelled, the protests did not cease. The conflict between the protesters and the pro-government supporters intensified. Several people were killed in these clashes. The protesters continued their acts of defiance even though the government had imposed curfews, banned social media platforms and blocked internet services. People from all walks of life joined this nationwide movement to “march to Dhaka” and demanded Sheikh Hasina's resignation as justice for those who were killed. Facing the pressure from the protesters, Sheikh Hasina stepped down from her position, ending her 15-year rule. She fled the country with her sister Rehana and landed in Hindon Base near New Delhi, and is now trying to seek asylum from the UK. On the other hand, the protesters barged into the Bangladesh parliament and ransacked it. The protestors vandalised Sheikh Hasina’s properties and those related to her party, including a statue of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. While giving a Suo moto statement in Rajya Sabha, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said, “We are in close and continuous touch with the Indian community in Bangladesh through our diplomatic missions. There are an estimated 19,000 Indian nationals there, of which about 9,000 are students. The bulk of the students have already returned to India in the month of July on the advice of the High Commission.” The unrest has led to over 400 deaths, and the situation is slowly recovering. On 6 August, the Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin dissolved the parliament. The army chief, General Waker-uz-Zaman, stated that the military would be an interim government. However, the student protest leaders had called for Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus to be the chief advisor for this government.
In June 2024, the High Court reinstated a quota system that reserves 30% of government jobs for descendants of veterans who fought in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War against Pakistan, which had been scrapped in 2018. As a result, students led protests against the government as they considered it discriminatory and felt it favoured Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League party that led the independence movement. Nearly 29 Awami league leaders have been found dead since the departure of Sheikh Hasina, as reported by Business Standard.
08 Aug 2024
Sri Haritha
