Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh was forced to step down and leave the nation as the student uprising that began at Dhaka University a month ago descended into violence.
The longest-ruling PM of Bangladesh since liberation, Hassina resigned and fled the country with her sister Rehana on Monday (August 5). Following this, the chief of the Bangladeshi Army Waker-Uz-Zaman announced in a TV address that they would take the initiative to form an interim government.
As at least 90 people were killed in Sunday’s violence, the situation in Dhaka became out of control, and the Prime Minister was forced to depart not only the office but also the nation.
Babar Ali, a doctor turned mountaineer and social activist, from Bangladesh says, “Bangladeshi People have taken departure of Hassina as the end of a decade-long dictatorship.”
A permanent resident of Chittagong Ali adds, “Actually, the citizens of Bangladesh were fed up with the corruption in the country and the dictatorial behaviour of Prime Minister Hasina.’
He has spoken over the phone with OnlineKhabar’s correspondent, Gaurav Pokharel regarding the state of Bangladesh and the student movement.
Experts:
So what’s going on in Bangladesh?
The dictator, Sheikh Hassaina, has left the country. She left maybe around 12. She went from West Bengal to Kolkatta. So, there are some rumours that she will fly to London. Her nephew is an MP in the UK. So, she left with her sister Sheikh Rihana and might go to London.
Why were the students so disappointed with the government?
Initially, it was about a quota reform. It’s not like against quota. But, it’s about the quota reforms. In Bangladesh, the warriors who fought for Bangladesh in 1971 during our Liberation, used to get a good number of quotas. So now it has been almost 53 years since our liberation. Still, their family members were getting the quota. Most of the freedom fighters are dead actually. Initially, their son and daughter were getting quotas in all civil service exams. Now, their grandchildren were getting the quotas.
For different service exams, it was a different percentage, almost 30 to 40 per cent of quotas in civil exams.
However, the Supreme Court of Bangladesh overturned the quota system a week ago, yet protests continued. What was the reason behind it?
Yes, the Supreme Court reformed the quota. But, So many people were killed during the protest. The number is at least 250. Most of them were killed by the police and the student organisation of the ruling political party Awami Leauge. Then the movement was started for justice. So, justice needed to be served. They want justice and they want all the accused people who gave orders to quit. They don’t have arms or anything like that. But, still, there were some operations by the government and more people were killed. So finally it came to like there was only one demand from the protesters – most of them were students – so there was the primary demand — PM should resign.
Some people also believe that the protest had begun as a student movement but later got politicised and turned into an anti-government movement, do you agree?
Yes, it was later transformed into a mass movement. It was not only among the students initially. It was only among the students earlier. The leaders there actually were all the university students. So initially there were only six people and all of them were university-going students. Later the six turned into hundreds and among them, 158 were total coordinators of the movement.
They all were university-going people around 20-25 of age. Later, whenever, the movement turned into mass other political parties also joined. However, people from political parties were also not at a mass level. The Bengali People don’t even trust the opposition also. They were also in power earlier. They didn’t do anything good. Those people who haven’t had any kind of political identity also joined. Even my friend, who was not involved in politics in whole life also joined the protest.
Did you also join them?
Yes, when it was a big mass, I also joined them. But, there was a curfew implemented by the government here. So, today was also a curfew declared by the ruling government.
Prime Minister Hasina won the election just a few months ago and has been in office for 15 years. So, why were the Bangladeshi people unhappy with her?
The main problem is that they’ve been in power for almost 15 years and like most of the political leaders they became so corrupted and it’s more like a dictator. It’s like she’s not listening to anyone and the worst part is that the last fair election was held in 2008 only. From 2009, they were ruling the government and then there was no fair election. In the 2014 election, there was no opposition party. In 2019 and 2024 they made some political parties but, the biggest opposition didn’t participate in the election.
So now that the Bangladeshi Army leader has declared the formation of an interim administration, can you tell me what the people think of the Bangladeshi army itself?
He said there will be an interim government to take over. So, that fair election may happen. Something good for people may happen.
The majority of people, also don’t like the army as they are engaged in so many businesses. They are actually for the protection of the nation.
The father of the current PM was also killed by the army at the time of the military coup in 1975. Other assassinations were also done by the army. So, she gave them to do so much business. They own resorts, they own most of the business in Bangladesh. So, she made them happy with all these things. So, there is also dissatisfaction in the mass towards the army. But, right now — it’s good that the army took over for the formation of new government.
Who will form the government now?
Many people ask us whether the opposition’s government will be formed. But, I don’t think so. Because people don’t like them also. The public wants independent people from different sectors to form the interim government. There is the name for Saleuddin Aahamad, former governor of Bangladesh. Some people are also saying the name of Mohamad Yunush, who is also a Nobel Peace Prize winner. He won this prize in 2006. But, we don’t know what the president and Army Chief is thinking.
So now will the peace be maintained in the country?
Yeah, I think so. So many people have been killed. So many people lost their lives so many are injured. So I think right now — it’s not about government. It’s not about the police or the army. It was about the protesters against the ruling Aawam league and its student organisations, which was the terror organisation. So, now peace will be maintained.
