As the turbulent Bangladesh enters a new phase in governance after Sheikh Hasina’s dramatic fall, the interim leadership of the Nobel Laureate and Grameen Bank founder Muhammad Yunus offers hope for a more equitable and democratic future. How far Mr. Yunus, who is known as “banker to the poorest of the poor” can succeed will hinge on his ability to unite the diverse factions within the country and implement reforms that address the root cause of the current unrest. He needs to bring order to a nation riven by conflict and restore trust in institutions. Steering the transition to a new regime will be a formidable challenge for the Nobel laureate with no experience of leading a government. Unlike on previous occasions when political parties, in consultation with the military and bureaucracy, would decide who would head the government, this time the students’ community have emerged as the center of power. While the interim government of Bangladesh is expected to reflect the country’s broad political spectrum and its civil society, it must represent the aspirations of the mass upsurge as articulated by the students, who have made it clear that this is not only about deposing an autocrat but also about creating a system that will prevent the rise of a future autocrat.
As for India, it will be better served if it revisits its Bangladesh policy and acknowledges the underlying causes that led to Hasina’s downfall. A large segment of Bangladeshis seem to feel that Indian policy since 2009 had deprived them of their right to freely choose their leaders and that an unequal relationship was forged with Hasina. Hence, sooner the Indian policymakers acknowledge the necessity to recalibrate their country’s policy, the sooner a better relationship with Bangladesh’s interim government can emerge.
Ranganathan Sivakumar
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