By D. Maan, Jadetimes News
Bangladesh Parliament Dissolved Following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Departure
Parliament was dissolved Tuesday in Bangladesh after the sudden resignation and flight of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. This dissolution became the big development after weeks of spiraling protests that climaxed into deadly unrest and widespread violence.
Prime Minister's Departure and Dissolution of Parliament
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, at the helm of affairs since almost 15 years, resigned and fled to India as the student led protests spiralled into violent unrest. The dissolution of Parliament, a key demand of the demonstrators, paves the way for the formation of an interim government. The resignation of Ms. Hasina followed a day of intense violence, with more than 100 people reported dead on Monday alone the deadliest day since the protests began.
Violent Protests and Government Response
The student movement that started in early July to scrap quotas in civil service jobs transmogrified into an anti government movement. The movement peaked as protesters stormed the Prime Minister's official residence. Hundreds of police stations were set on fire, and the Bangladesh Police Service Association went on strike, stating security concerns for its members. The death toll from the protests is already reportedly in excess of 400, with security forces reacting with force against demonstrators.
Interim Government and Political Developments
The military chief of Bangladesh, General Waker uz Zaman, has promised the formation of an interim administration to help avert any power vacuum and further bloodshed amid the current crisis. The student leaders, however, continued to oppose the military backed administration and were instead asking for Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus to be made the interim chief adviser. Mr. Yunus has already agreed to the offer and is on his way back to Dhaka from Paris, where he was attending to a minor medical procedure.
Release of Opposition Figures and International Reaction
The political atmosphere in Bangladesh is changing as several major opposition leaders have been freed. Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who leads the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, has been released from house arrest. Zia served as PM from 1991 to 96 and was jailed since 2018 on corruption charges she has described as politically motivated. Her release now paves the way for the BNP to press for its demand of polls under a neutral caretaker administration a demand that Ms. Hasina had refused to accept all along.
Activist Ahmad Bin Quasem has also been released from detention. Rights groups previously listed him as one of the many victims of enforced disappearances under Ms. Hasina's regime. These developments may be an indicator of better intentions by the new interim authorities, though the fate of others still detained remains uncertain.
Regional and International Ramifications
The developing situation in Bangladesh is causing deep concern across the border in India. Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar has confirmed that a last minute request to travel to India was issued by Ms. Hasina, and she was already in Delhi this evening when she left. Expressing its reservations over the situation, India has sent additional troops along its Bangladesh border and asked its border forces to be on high alert.
The international community watches with bated breath as Bangladesh undergoes a period of political transition and turmoil.
