The Challenge of the Army: The Burden of a Perfect Storm in Bangladesh with Hasina’s Resigning Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus

Bangladesh is in need of a new leader after the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and she fled to India.

The rioters attacked police stations in the hours that followed. Rahman said that the police was the face of the regime. Rioters also burned down dozens of Hindu homes, including a prominent musician’s. More than a dozen temples were set alight, Reuters reported. It was unclear what motivated these attacks.

So with the arrival of Muhammad Yunus, there’s a brewing question of “what the interim government’s role will be,” said Kean. “Is it just to organize elections? Is it to have some political reforms to build consensus among the army, political parties, civil society and students on what kind of political system Bangladesh will have in the future?

The students were clear in their answers. They wouldn’t accept the army or a government that was backed by it.

The institution in Bangladesh has led 29 interventions in a country that is five decades old, according to Chietigj Bajpaee, senior research fellow at Chatham House. Gen. Waker-Uz-Zaman, who is the army chief, announced the resignation on Monday.

Typically in Bangladesh, an interim government rules for 90 days, and its job is to pave the way for elections. With Hasina’s party crushed for now, her chief rivals, the BNP, are eager for elections that they would almost certainly win.

Many Bangladeshis were proud of the transformation that Hasina undertook, building roads and railways and developing a large garment export industry. She couldn’t resolve high youth unemployment.

Students protested against quotas for jobs for descendants of veterans of the 1971 war for Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan in the beginning of her downfall. Many students thought that the ruling party was handing out jobs to cronies. Baj Paee said you have this perfect storm of sorts.

Students who protested over the job quotas were attacked by Hasina’s party loyalists. Paramilitary forces and police joined the fray, triggering violent clashes that killed more than 300 people.

The Sudden End of Sheikh Hasina’s Rule in Bangladesh: Remnants of a Nobel Prize Winner and Ambassador to the United Nations

He won the peace prize for his work on microlending. He was indicted in Bangladesh in June on charges of swindling $2 million. The former prime minister saw Yunus as a potential rival and saw the case as politically motivated.

He was released on bail and had traveled to Paris for the Olympic Games. From there, he called on Bangladeshis to “make the best use of our new victory.”

I appeal to everyone to be calm. He said in a statement that he did not want to see all kinds of violence. This is our beautiful country and it has many exciting possibilities. We must protect it and make it great for our children and our future generations.

Yunus, who was awarded the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for his work developing microcredit markets, told reporters in Paris: “I’m looking forward to going back home and seeing what’s happening there, and how we can organize ourselves to get out of the trouble that we are in.″

It appeared as though the sudden end to Sheikh Hasina’s rule was out of the blue. The unraveling began after the military chief in Bangladesh refused to deploy his forces on Monday to quell the tens of thousands of people who marched onto the capital on Sunday.

With no forces to stop the demonstrators, prime minister attended to neighboring India. “At very short notice, she requested approval to come for the moment to India,” said that country’s foreign minister S. Jaishankar. “We simultaneously received a request for flight clearance from Bangladesh authorities.”

Many fear that Hasina’s departure could trigger even more instability in the densely populated nation of some 170 million people, which is already dealing with high unemployment, corruption and a complex strategic relationship with India, China and the United States.

The army chief announced her departure during a press conference. Crowds rushed into the residence of the prime minister as he spoke, and stole items like fish and clothes.

Protesters tore down a statue ofSheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was the creator of Bangladesh. Rioters torched a museum honoring his memory. There were multiple jail breaks.

The military and civilian officials that have been loyal to the party have either resigned or been expelled. One major general was detained aboard an aircraft while trying to leave. Human Rights Watch reported that an advocacy group for families of victims of enforced disappearances demonstrated outside Bangladesh’s military intelligence agency, which led to the release of at least two men who had been held for eight years.

After many years of house arrest, the leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Khaleda Zia, was freed. Local residents and students stood guard of police stations to stop more attacks. They also directed the traffic.

Even though a new police chief has been appointed, it could take many years to rebuild the police, said Rahman. Police in Bangladesh are on strike due to their safety. The students want reforms to prevent future governments from abusing the powers they have been given.

The incoming government would not have checks and balances if there were no reforms. The judiciary, security forces would be under control. It would “be able to use those to hold on to power and suppress opposition.”

There were protests against a quota system for government jobs that critics thought favored people with connections to the leader of the party. The demonstrations soon grew into a broader challenge to the 15-year rule of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, which was marked by human rights abuses, corruption and allegations of rigged elections.

On Monday, Joy had said Hasina would not return to politics after she stepped down. In a video posted on his Facebook page, he urged party activists to rise up.

“The Awami League is the oldest, democratic, and largest party in Bangladesh,” Joy added. “The Awami League has not died … It is not feasible to eliminate the league. We told our family that they wouldn’t engage in politics anymore. However, given the attacks on our leaders and activists, we cannot give up.”

The protests against Hasina, 76, in Dhaka, conclude with a “beautiful democratic” message

Overnight into Thursday, residents across Dhaka carried sticks, iron rods and sharp weapons to guard their neighborhoods amid reports of robberies. People in mosques used to hear about robberies, when police were not on duty. The military shared hotline numbers for people seeking help.

Hasina, 76, was elected to a fourth consecutive term in January, in an election boycotted by her main opponents. The US and UK denounced the result, saying it was not credible.

The two men have been at odds for many years, with Yunus called a ‘bloodsucker’ by Hasina for using force to collect loan repayments from rural poor. The allegations have been denied by the man.

Security was tight at the airport to ensure Yunus’ safe arrival, as the country has experienced days of unrest following the downfall of Hasina on Monday. The oath-taking ceremony will take place on Thursday when the new Cabinet is announced.

Yunus was named as interim leader following talks among military officials, civic leaders and the student activists who led the uprising against Hasina. Before boarding his plane to return home, he made his first public comments in the French capital.

He thanked the student protesters and appealed to them and other stakeholders to remain peaceful.

Bangladesh’s military chief, Gen. Waker-Uz-Zaman, said in a televised address on Wednesday that he expected Yunus to usher in a “beautiful democratic” process.