BangladeshThe country’s prime minister resigned and fled the country, marking the end of her 15 years in power after an unprecedented crisis protests which left almost 300 people dead.
Mrs. Hasina resigned and left for an unknown destination on Monday (August 5), when thousands of protesters stormed his official residence.
Bangladesh, the world’s fourth-largest country by population, has been on edge for weeks amid protests that began more than a year ago. controversial quota system for public positions. The system guaranteed a certain proportion of roles to descendants of fighters in Bangladesh’s war of independence – seen as a measure to appease Hasina’s political base.
A new wave of protests began over the weekend with people demanding Hasina’s resignation, and at least 95 people died across the country on Sunday in deadliest day of violence since the beginning of the crisis, with hundreds of people injured when both police and protesters used live ammunition.
Why are students protesting?
At the heart of the student protests that began in late June was the demand for abandon a quota system that reserved up to 30% of public jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence against Pakistan.
Protests began late last month, but tensions rose when students from Dhaka The university, the largest in the country, clashed with the police and a counter-protest inflamed the situation.
The students claimed the protests were peaceful until the student wing of Ms. Hasina’s ruling Awami League party attacked them.
“We were protesting peacefully until we were attacked by the goons. It is our right to continue to protest, it is rooted in the history of this country and we will continue to do so as our right,” he said. Dhaka university student who did not want to be identified for fear of persecution said The Independent.
Protesters argued that the quota system was discriminatory and benefited supporters of Hasina, whose political party led the independence movement. They demanded that it be replaced with a merit-based system.
What did the Supreme Court say?
Hasina’s government suspended employment quotas after mass student protests in 2018, but last month a high court ruling overturned that decision and reinstated the quotas after family members of 1971 veterans filed petitions. Students then began protesting in large numbers, saying the quotas unfairly reduced their chances of securing a highly coveted government position.
On July 21st, the The Supreme Court ordered that 93 percent of government jobs be allocated based on merit and five percent would be for veterans who served in the war. The remaining two percent would be reserved for members of ethnic minorities and transgender and disabled people.
The decision was a partial victory for the students, after representatives from both sides met late on July 19 to discuss a resolution.
The court order initially stopped the protests, but the students then demanded an apology from the government for its handling of the crisis and justice for the 200 people who had already died up to that point. Thousands of student protest organizers were also detained and some alleged they were tortured.
Why did Hasina resign?
The student protests have drawn attention to fissures in Bangladesh’s governance and economy, as well as the frustrations of the country’s youth with rising unemployment, where some 32 million young people are neither working nor studying.
Anger quickly turned from demands over jobs to outrage at the way the protests were handled, with Ms Hasina referring to protesters as “terrorists” and ordering police to shoot them on sight.
“We have to take care of ourselves and future generations. We need jobs in this country, we are already suffering from a lack of them,” said Alam Rashid, a student from Dhaka. “We invited the government to talk to us several times, instead it [Sheikh Hasina] just unleashed their police force on us,” he said The Independent.
Over the weekend, there were reports of attacks across the country, including incidents of vandalism and arson targeting government buildings, offices of the ruling party, Awami League, police stations and the homes of public representatives. Clashes were reported in as many as 39 of the country’s 64 districts.
Sunday turned out to be the deadliest day of clashes so far, with at least 95 dead, including protesters and police.
Dhaka University student coordinators called for Monday to be marked by a “march to Dhaka,” calling it a “final response,” after the military said students who defied the government’s curfew would face “ the full force of the law.”
“The government killed many students. The time has come for the final response,” protest coordinator Asif Mahmud said in a statement on Facebook on Sunday evening.
“Everyone will come to Dhaka, especially from neighboring districts. Come to Dhaka and take a stand on the streets.”
What’s next for Bangladesh?
Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman announced in a televised address to the nation that an interim government would be formed.
He said he was taking control “at a critical time for our country” and urged people to trust him.
“I am taking responsibility now and we will go to the president and ask for the formation of an interim government to lead the country in the meantime.”
It was not clear whether the army would play a role, but General Zaman said: “We will now go to the president of the country, where we will discuss about the formation of the interim government, we will form the interim government and we will manage the nation.”
There are also fears of violence in India-Border with Bangladesh, where security has been tightened, according to media reports. An Indian Railways spokesperson said all trains into the country would be temporarily suspended.
Following reports, Ms. Hasina flew to India, seeking exile in the neighboring country with which Dhaka has had close ties since its formation.
India shares more than 4,000 km in length with Bangladesh.
It is not yet known whether the student protesters will stop their protest and what role they will play in the formation of the new interim government.
