The dramatic ouster of Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday following 35 days of mass protests could be hoped to bring peace to the country. The protests had begun against the job quotas but soon escalated into a movement against her 15 year rule. Efforts are on to cobble together an interim government which hopefully could address the grievances of the people, especially students, who led protests against Hasina. In the fast changing situation, Bangladesh finds itself in an uncertain territory. The unruly scenes that followed Hasina’s ouster were troubling. Thousands of Bangladeshi protesters ransacked her palace, ransacking furniture and breaking glass.
Bangladeshi media broadcast images of the crowds descending upon the prime minister’s official residence and waving to cameras. Soon the videos circulated on social media, among them one about the vandalization of the statue in Dhaka of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman – Hasina’s father and former Bangladesh president. Ironically Mujibur Rehman, who is regarded as the “Father of the Nation,” had led the country to its freedom in 1971 by splitting the country from what was then called Western Pakistan.
Over 300 people have died in protests in the country since July 1 when the agitation against job quotas began after a court cancelled the 2018 government notification abolishing quotas, and reinstated them. The dramatic turn of events has steered the country down an uncertain path. Hasina had been ruling the country since 2009, staying popular for the better part of her term. All through her tenure she remained a close friend of New Delhi, something that was resented by a section of public opinion in the country. But after her record fourth straight win in January this year, securing 200 seats in the 300-seat parliament, her popularity saw a steady fall, leading eventually to her unceremonious ouster.
Her exit has been a source of deep concern for India. The new government may not be so favourably disposed towards India. Also, New Delhi has a reason to worry about China’s growing influence in the country. This certainly should warrant a review and readjustment of India’s foreign policy. That said, we can only hope that after Hasina, Bangladeshis make the right political choices for themselves. The country needs a secular, inclusive and a progressive government which takes minorities along. This is important for the country to stay as one of the vibrant economies in South Asia. For now, however, the priority is for the restoration of peace and the formation of a representative interim government, with hopefully respected economist and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus helming it.
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