Bangladesh: What’s next after PM Sheikh Hasina forced out?

Originally peaceful demonstrations by Bangladesh students opposing a quota system for government employment, what started as such escalated into an upheaval that drove Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to escape Bangladesh via helicopter.

Now, opposition politicians and the country’s military are discussing forming an interim administration to hold new elections, which Hasina’s detractors claim will restore democracy.

Local media estimates that weeks of violent upheaval, which killed about 300 people, ended Hasina’s 15-year reign.

The government frequently used gunshots, curfews, and internet outages to subdue demonstrations blamed on sabotage and opposition parties, but these harsh measures backfired, fuelling outrage and further protests.

Protesters violated a military curfew on Monday to march into the capital’s core following a weekend of violence that killed dozens. As the military withdrew and restored the internet connection, tens of thousands of people rejoiced in the streets, with many storming the leader’s official home.

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Who will lead the next government?

Shortly after Hasina resigned, the country’s military chief said the army would seek the figurehead president’s approval to form an interim administration.

Late Monday, President Mohammed Shahabuddin declared that he would dissolve Parliament as soon as possible, paving the way for new elections.

A key student leader stated the following day that the movement wanted Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus to lead the temporary administration.

Nahid Islam stated in a video broadcast on social media that student protest leaders had previously spoken with Yunus, who agreed to take over given the country’s current predicament.

Hasina’s government tried Yunus under numerous corruption charges. He received the Nobel Prize in 2006 for pioneering microlending and claimed the corruption allegations against him were motivated by vengeance.

Gen. Waker-uz-Zaman also committed to investigating the violent crackdowns that sparked uproar against the administration.

“Keep faith in the military, we will investigate all the killings and punish the responsible,” the commander stated. “I have ordered that no army and police will indulge in any kind of firing.”

He requested patience as a new government was constituted.

“Now, the students’ duty is to stay calm and help us,” she said.

How did the protests begin?

The rallies, which have gathered hundreds of thousands of people, began in July when students demonstrated against a contentious quota system for government positions.

On July 15, student demonstrators battled with security personnel and pro-government supporters, forcing authorities to use tear gas and rubber bullets, close schools, and impose a curfew with a shoot-on-sight order. The internet and cell data were both switched off.

The government claims nearly 150 people died last month, while local media reports over 200 fatalities.

Why were they protesting?

Initially, the protests were against a quota system that reserved up to 30% of government employment for the families of veterans who participated in Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence against Pakistan.

Protesters claimed the system was unfair and favored supporters of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League party, which spearheaded the independence campaign.

The uproar revealed Bangladesh’s deep economic misery as exports dropped and foreign exchange reserves depleted. There is a scarcity of quality jobs for recent graduates, increasingly seeking more steady and profitable government positions.

As the violence escalated, the Supreme Court ordered a reduction in the veterans’ quota to 5% last month, granting 93% of jobs based on merit. They set aside the remaining 2% for ethnic minorities, transgender persons, and those with disabilities.

The government accepted the judgment and restored the internet, hoping the situation would improve. However, the protests intensified, with additional demands for probes into the violent crackdowns and eventually for Hasina and her administration to resign.