A new “interim government” is taking shape in crisis-hit Bangladesh after Sheikh Hasina resigned as prime minister – possibly advised by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.
Bangladesh President Mohammad Shahabuddin gave his assent to the interim administration late Monday night at a meeting attended by the chiefs of the country’s army, navy and air force, as well as leaders of political parties and members of civil society.
In the speculation that has been rife since Mrs Hasina’s resignation (which is inevitable), three prominent names have been at the forefront, two of which are the military, which took over after Mrs Hasina resigned, and which may have given her the 45-minute ultimatum; and her rival and former prime minister Khaleda Zia, who was jailed on corruption charges in 2018 and whose release was ordered by the president.
Who is Khaleda Zia?
In 1991, Mrs Zia, now 78 and in poor health, became Bangladesh’s first woman prime minister.
He won a second term in 1996 but major opposition parties, including Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League, boycotted the elections and called them unfair. His second term lasted 12 days; a caretaker government was installed and fresh elections were held, which Mrs Hasina won.
After five years, Mrs Zia returned to power.
Read | Who is Khaleda Zia, the jailed former PM to be released amid turmoil?
He was arrested on corruption charges in 2007. He was convicted and sent to prison in 2018, but has spent most of his time in hospital since then because of a number of health problems.
It is unclear whether she would be healthy enough to serve as prime minister if elected.
The third is Mr Yunus, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for founding Grameen Bank, a microfinance organisation working for community development in Bangladesh.
Mr Yunus is widely seen as the protesting students’ choice – an attempt to ensure that the centre of their movement does not go unnoticed as Sheikh Hasina’s rivals struggle to regain power following her resignation.
Who is Muhammad Yunus?
Mr Yunus, an economist with a PhD from Vanderbilt University, a private research institution in Tennessee, United States, taught there for a while before returning to Bangladesh to become the head of a department at Chittagong University.
He founded the Grameen Bank in 1983. The bank provides small loans (as little as Rs 2,000) to women in rural Bangladesh to start small businesses. This helped millions of people escape poverty, earning him the nickname ‘banker to the poor’. This model is now being adopted in more than 100 countries.
Read | Unstable Bangladesh could lead to “volcanic eruption”, says Nobel laureate
However, in June he was accused of corruption and embezzling 252.2 million taka (Rs 219.4 crore) from the workers welfare fund of his telecom company Grameen Telecom.
The 83-year-old has denied wrongdoing and claimed the charges are politically motivated. In January, he was also sentenced to six months in jail for labor law violations but was granted bail.
Read | Who is Mohammad Yunus, potential advisor to interim Bangladesh government?
Tarique Rahman, the exiled president of Mrs Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party, is also in the race.
As in the case of Khaleda Zia, there has been no formal confirmation that Mr Rahman will join any new government, but there is strong speculation that Mrs Zia and her BNP may make a comeback.
It is expected that Mr Rahman will return to Bangladesh, at least according to news agency ANI, which quoted BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir as saying.
The possible fifth person has been named as Nahid Islam, a Dhaka University student who is believed to be the leader of the protest.
Who is Nahid Islam?
Mr Islam, a sociology student, served as the national coordinator of the ‘Students Against Discrimination’ movement, which sought reform of the quota system for government jobs.
In announcements and statements made last night, Mr Islam claimed that the outline of the interim government would be revealed within 24 hours.
Mr Nahid has been vocal against Sheikh Hasina’s party, calling them “terrorists” on the streets.
In July, he was abducted from a house in Sabujbag by at least 25 men in plainclothes.
Read | Who is Nahid Islam, the student leader of the protests against Sheikh Hasina?
He was blindfolded, handcuffed, and tortured during repeated interrogations about his participation in the protests. Two days later, he was found unconscious and injured under a bridge in Purbachal.
A week later, he was abducted a second time by men claiming to be from intelligence agencies, including the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch. But the police denied involvement.
resignation of sheikh hasina
Mrs Hasina, 76, a five-time prime minister and daughter of the country’s founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, stepped down on Monday evening and fled Dhaka after weeks of violent protests over reservation in government jobs.
Soon after Ms Hasina resigned, army chief General Waqar-uz-Zaman said the military would form an “interim government” and urged protesters to back off.
More than 400 people have been killed in clashes between authorities and mobs for and against Bangladesh’s plan to provide 30 per cent reservation to families of those killed in the 1971 war with Pakistan.
The protests in Bangladesh were triggered by Mrs Hasina’s government’s announcement of a 30 per cent quota for family members of her country’s soldiers martyred in the 1971 independence war against Pakistan.
Read | The change of power in Dhaka and the dismissal of Sheikh Hasina is India’s diplomatic problem
The students’ movement has gained momentum after the Bangladesh Supreme Court reinstated the reservation. Earlier the reservation was reduced to five percent. The students allege that this reservation is discriminatory.
Mrs Hasina left Dhaka on a military plane and headed for India’s Hindon Air Force base in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh; she is expected to travel to London to seek political asylum.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met Mrs Hasina upon her arrival. There is no information yet as to whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet her or not.
Read | S Jaishankar tells MPs on Sheikh Hasina, “want to give her time”: sources
Mr Modi has been briefed and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar chaired an all-party meeting today to discuss the Bangladesh issue. He briefed all parties on the steps being taken by the government to deal with potential security, economic and diplomatic fallout.
India’s Border Security Force is on high alert along the country’s 4,096-km border with Bangladesh, with field commanders ordered to take charge of the situation “on the ground” and be prepared for any eventuality. Indian Railways and the country’s airlines have temporarily suspended their services to Bangladesh.
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