After the government of Sheikh Hasina was brought down by a student-led uprising on August 5, 2024, Bangladesh’s new rulers, a military-backed interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, promised a new beginning. Six months later, the country of 170 million is far from having a stable political order, let alone a new dawn. The lawlessness across the country was on full display on February 5 when a mob demolished the residence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the first President, in Dhanmondi, the trigger being reports of Ms. Hasina, who is in exile in India, planning to broadcast a speech on February 5. Protesters circulated their plan online to destroy the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum. Using excavators and bulldozers, they unleashed the attack on the building, in the presence of security personnel, where the father of the nation was assassinated in 1975. The residences of Ms. Hasina and other Awami League leaders were also vandalised. The interim government promised stern action, and Mr. Yunus called for calm. But three days later, a security crackdown targeted Awami League members and saw over 1,000 arrests in a single day.
The attack is not an isolated incident. Mr. Yunus and student protesters have accused Ms. Hasina of running an authoritarian regime. Mr. Yunus has also promised to build a naya Bangladesh with reformed institutions, transparency and accountability. But six months after Ms. Hasina’s ouster, the interim government has made little progress in its reform agenda and has yet to announce a schedule for general elections. There have been repeated complaints about mob violence against Hindu and Christian minorities as well as Ahmadiyya Muslims and ethnic minorities of Chittagong Hill Tracts. More than 100 people have been killed since August 5, and at least 11,000 people arrested. Among those arrested are 140 journalists, who face murder charges over their reporting of the events that led to Ms. Hasina’s ouster. The government has also scrapped more than 150 press accreditations, which are required for official events and briefings. The Chhatra League, the Awami League’s student wing, has been banned. A Human Rights Watch report released in January, has warned that those who opposed the Awami League “are now mirroring its intolerance for criticism”. The Yunus administration and the student leaders are still blaming Ms. Hasina for the lawlessness and violence. This amounts to an absolute abandonment of accountability. Bangladesh cannot progress into a better system if the violence and lawlessness continue. As the ruler, Mr. Yunus has the primary responsibility to ensure that law and order prevails. He should also expedite the reform process and announce elections so that Bangladesh can have an elected, legitimate government at the earliest.
Published – February 12, 2025 12:10 am IST
