Bangladeshi youth played a significant role in overthrowing a female dictator in Dhaka. The leaderless movement among tertiary students prospered when pre-announced marches for weeks resonated the country’s dismay to Hasina, eventually taking a helicopter to flee in India.
Shortly after the resignation of Prime Minister Sheik Hasina, Muhammad Yunus takes the oath as head of Bangladesh’s interim government, the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize awardee. Yunus, a political opponent of Hasina, labeled him a “bloodsucker” for allegedly extracting loan repayments from poor people who are majority women. Earlier, before the oath of office, a Dhaka tribunal acquitted Yunus for a labor law violation from a telecommunications company he incubated.
U.S. State Secretary Anthony Blinken said that any decision of the interim government makes it necessary to respect democratic principles, uphold the rule of law, and reflect the will of the people.
The former Prime Minister was considered to be the most severe ruler in South Asia’s history. Her dictatorial type of personality pushed young Bangladeshis to join forces, eventually leading to her downfall. Hasina’s political opponents were jailed, exiled, and eliminated, as she absolutely controlled all the branches of the Bangladeshi bureaucracy.
The downfall of Hasina is not due to a military coup, but students’ movements and ordinary citizens protected the hijacked democracy in Bangladesh so many times under the Hasina government. Young Bangladesh students felt that the government of Hasina was unfair with the quota system in the distribution of civil service jobs.; favors were given to the relatives and close friends of her political cronies. Public and private students joined forces, eventually calling their coalition the Students Against Discrimination movement.
The oath of office of the interim government was facilitated by Mohammed Shahabuddin, Bangladesh’s figurehead. Yunus was inducted for his role as chief advisor, tantamount to that of a prime minister, witnessed by members of the diplomatic corps, the international community, civil society members, top businessmen, and members of the former opposition party at Dhaka’s presidential palace. Hasina’s party members were all absent. Moreover, sixteen Bangladeshis took roles in the interim cabinet, most of whom came from civil society, including two youth leaders. Moving forward, restoring peace in Bangladesh, and preparing for the new elections will be the main priorities of the Yunus interim government.
For many developing nations, there are many lessons that can be derived from the recent situation in Bangladesh. Despite whatever sort of government or ruler there is, a sense of majority, reflective of democratic ideals, prevails when the people are tired of a dictatorial leader. Secondly, the economic situation is a real fight, not only for the common people but also with the middle class. This means that the role of the state should also enhance the welfare of its people’s social and economic needs. Another lesson, small rallies should be taken seriously. Any leader showcases his or her listening skills to the grievances of the people. When violence prospers, it is already a marching order to start implementing concrete measures or executing new policy paradigms that will address the sentiments of the people. Finally, when a leader focuses on his or her own welfare, there will come a time when, instead of building a legacy, it is gearing for its downfall.
Like any other story, nations and people across the world repeat history in diverse variants. When voters feel that they are not heard by the government, mass protests and rallies serve as pivotal to a prolonged fight that can change the government landscape anytime soon. The people of Bangladesh showed their unity, cooperation, and resiliency, which changed an old government into a hopeful future for them.
