EDITORIAL: The fallout of the historic events of the last few weeks in Bangladesh continues to reverberate as the country’s denizens attempt to grapple with a highly delicate situation.
There have been media reports of ex-prime minister Sheikh Hasina allegedly accusing the US, in an undelivered speech, of engineering her removal as she had refused to accede to its demands of handing over St Martin’s island in the Bay of Bengal to it. These reports were later refuted by her son.
Whatever the truth of the matter may be, the fact remains that there was genuine discontent against her 15-year rule, and hundreds of people did lose their lives while protesting her draconian control on power.
Since her ouster, events have moved swiftly and we have seen Nobel Peace Prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus take over as head of the country’s interim government. This was followed by Bangladesh’s chief justice and the central bank governor resigning from their positions, as those deemed close to Hasina’s regime face increasing scrutiny and pressure.
A noteworthy aspect of these developments is that the student leaders who led the putsch against Hasina’s government – especially 26-year-old Nahid Islam who is now part of the interim set-up – appear to be calling the shots with respect to the trajectory the country takes over the coming weeks and months.
It was on the insistence of the student leaders that Yunus was appointed interim head, with Islam declaring that “any government other than the one we recommended would not be accepted”. Similarly, the chief justice had been warned of “dire consequences” by student protesters in case he refused to resign.
While no one can argue with the choice of Yunus as interim head, given his non-partisan reputation, track record in social entrepreneurship and global recognition, members of the interim set-up must understand that not every decision they take will be met with unanimous support in a highly polarised environment.
Therefore, they must navigate the upcoming challenges with caution and transparency, with the ultimate aim being to hold free and fair elections as soon as possible.
While there is support within Bangladesh for conducting electoral and constitutional reforms before holding elections, the interim government should ideally give a defined timeline for its stated goals, including for holding polls, and then stick to it. Any indefinite hold on power may endanger this moment of potential unity, risking a descent into further political volatility.
Another critical issue that needs to be tackled head-on is the state of law and order, especially with respect to the increasing number of attacks on the country’s sizable Hindu minority. While Yunus has promised to restore social order and stop the targeting of minority communities, the absence of police on the streets of Bangladesh’s cities for several days after Hasina’s ouster has surely hampered those efforts.
There is understandably much anger against the police for its violent treatment of protesters, but the fact remains that law enforcement plays a critical role in ensuring order and stability, and while those responsible for violent actions must be held accountable, the interim set-up must move with alacrity in restoring trust between the police and the public, and make the law enforcement apparatus operational once again.
Moreover, the regressive elements taking advantage of the political instability by targeting the Hindu community must be taken to task.
While the phenomenon of nefarious forces acting in a way that threatens any uprising’s original intent is not uncommon, this cannot be used as an excuse to tolerate the targeting of innocents and the fomenting of religious strife. One hopes that the interim government gets a handle on the situation fast, restores stability and pulls the country back from the brink before it spirals out of control.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024