How to read this story
Politics
Political Report
Bangladesh · South Asia
Public power, representation and democratic consequence
Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Resigns Flees Country as protesters invade her residence. Bangladesh’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, resigned and fled the country following weeks of deadly demonstrations.
Hasina’s resignation came on Monday after weeks of deadly protests that claimed hundreds of lives and rocked the country. She fled to deter further bloodshed in the country.
In a public address, the county’s Army Chief Waker-Uz-Zaman declared that an interim government would need to be installed at the country’s helm of affairs. During this address, he called for calm and an end to the bloody protest.
Hasina, who had been in the seat of power for almost two decades, on Monday, escaped through a military helicopter after the invasion of a massive crowd of protesters, who defied the national curfew, into her place in Dhaka.
She resigned and fled the country after weeks of deadly protest shook the country, which claimed the lives of over 300 people.
On Saturday night alone, close to 100 lives were lost in the protest, which led to a national curfew being called.
However, streets were monitored and secured on Monday to ascertain no further demonstration, but the agitated and resilient protesters defied the curfew.
They decided to march on to Dhaka in huge numbers, which led them into the Prime Minister’s Palace, which impeded the Hasina addressing the nation.
In the afternoon, songs of victory and wild jubilation erupted amongst the populace after the news that the Prime Minister had resigned and fled the country.
Reports indicated that the country had never experienced such a deadly protest, which claimed hundreds of lives and several injuries sustained.
Al Jazeera’s reporter, Tanvir Chowdhury, reported from Shahbagh Square. He had “never witnessed something like this” in the capital.
“Everybody is celebrating, not just students – people from all walks of life. They said this had to happen, there was nothing we could say, democracy was squeezed, and now we are free,” Chowdhury said.
Reports from various sources disclose that the protesters say that whoever comes next to power “will now know that they won’t tolerate any kind of dictatorship or mismanagement and that the students will decide.’
Bangladeshi Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina Resigns, Flees Country
It can be recalled that the country already went through difficult periods of Military rule between 1970 and 1980 following its independence from Pakistan in 1971, and many of the nationals were not willing to experience a return to such autocratic rule, which allowed oppression and the abolishment of every right enjoyed under democratic rule.
The Army General, Waker-Uz-Zaman, implored the citizenry to have faith in the Army, which he described as ‘peace restorers.’
“We will also ensure that justice is served for every death and crime that occurred during the protests,” he said, calling on the public to exercise patience and cease any acts of violence and vandalism.
“We have invited representatives from all major political parties, and they have accepted our invitation and committed to collaborating with us,” the general added.
According to United Nations Special Rapporteur Irene Khan, “very tough job ahead,” he said.
“We are all hoping that the transition would be peaceful and that there will be accountability for all the human rights violations that have occurred,” Khan told Al Jazeera.
The protest started a month ago between the students and the government over a controversial government job quota scheme.
The government shut down all the universities and deployed armed forces to quell the uprising.
The prime minister imposed a curfew nationwide and disconnected all access to internet services and communication.
The protest deteriorated, leading to the Supreme Court ruling that the widely rebuffed quotas should be reverted from 30 percent to 5 percent, with 3 percent reserved for high-class officials.
However, the decision of the court could not hold water; the protest escalated and degenerated into nationwide turmoil, requesting the Prime Minister’s resignation and accountability for the lives lost during the demonstration.
“Bangladesh has, of course, an enormous task ahead,” said Khan.
“It is not the poster child of sustainable development anymore. The previous government had driven this country into despair, and there would be a lot of hard work to build it up, but most of all, I think it’s essential that the army respect human rights,” he concluded.
BANGLADESH’S CHIEF OF STAFF, WAKER-UZ-ZAMAN TAKES CHARGE
On Monday, Waker-Uz-Zaman, the Bangladesh army chief, who has spent almost forty years in the military, said he would be taking over from the resigned and fled Prime Minister Hasina. In his public address, he said he would be taking full responsibility.
With his general’s cap adorned with medal ribbons, he assured the populace that they were looking into installing an interim government, which would correct all wrongs done by the former prime minister.
“I give you my word that all the injustices will be addressed,” the career infantry officer said in a broadcast to the nation on state television. However, it was not immediately clear if he would head the new government,” he said.
“The country has suffered a lot, the economy has been hit, many people have been killed — it is time to stop the violence.”
General Waker-Uz-Zaman was appointed Hasina’s chief of army staff in June out of trust and their close relationship. He is an experienced soldier who has served in various United Nations peacekeeping missions and the former Prime Minister Hasina’s office.
In January 2007, the army installed a caretaker government, which ran the country’s affairs for two years after a breakout of nationwide political unrest. Hasina, who had started her reign in 2009, won her fourth consecutive election in January this year without being contested.
Waker reassured the citizens that the new government will “prosecute all murderers” following weeks of deadly protests. Waker disclosed that meetings had already been held between himself, opposition party and civil society members but not yet with Hasina’s camp.
“All of us together will forge a beautiful future. If we work together, we can achieve a favourable outcome,” he said.
A graduate from Bangladesh Military Academy, who served two tours as a UN peacekeeper in Angola and Liberia, has called on the protesters to end the week-long deadly protest, which claimed no fewer than 300 lives, noting that their aims have already been achieved.
“If the situation improves, emergency is unnecessary,” he said.
Waker urged the university students who started protests in early July to support the army. The protests were initially against government’s anti-youth policy but prompted clamour of Hasina’s resignation from the office.
“Now, the students’ task is to keep calm and help us,” he said.
Waker, 58, was trained in Britain. He is married with two daughters and holds master’s degrees in defence studies from Bangladesh’s National University and King’s College London.
He was commissioned in 1985 and taught at the Army’s College for Infantry and Tactics and Bangladesh’s Institute for Peace Support Operations.
Bangladesh: PM Hasina Resigns, Flees Country
