New Delhi:

The political churn in Bangladesh is that country’s “internal matter” but India is keen to continue what was a stable relationship, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told NDTV Tuesday afternoon, underlining the maxim that neighbouring nations are “dependent on each other”.

In a wide-ranging interview Mr Jaishankar touched on Russia’s war on Ukraine and Delhi’s potential peacemaker role in that conflict, as well as Iran leader Ayatollah Khamenei’s remark, the war in Gaza, and a flurry of foreign visits in the first 100 days of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third term.

“What happens is their internal matter. Bangladesh is our neighbour and the relationship, on our part, is something we want to keep stable. We have good trade… our people-to-people ties are good… I want to keep the relationship that way,” Mr Jaishankar said on the Bangladesh crisis.

Bangladesh battled civil unrest and violence last month – the result of a student-led movement against quota in government jobs – that forced then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign. Ms Hasina fled Dhaka in a military aircraft to land at an Air Force base near Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad.

She was expected to proceed to London to claim political asylum but British Home Office sources told NDTV its rules do not allow people to travel to that country to seek asylum or temporary refuge.

READ | What Are Ex Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina’s Plans? India Says…

For now, Ms Hasina is believed to be in the custody of Indian intelligence agencies.

Last month Mr Jaishankar told Parliament Ms Hasina’s office had requested permission to flee Dhaka for Delhi “at very short notice”. At an all-party briefing he said the Indian government was prepared to give Ms Hasina time to decide on her next steps, which could include political retirement.

READ | Want Good Ties With India But On Basis Of “Equality”: Md Yunus

Last week Nobel laureate Md Yunus – who leads an interim government – said his country too wants to maintain its previous good relationship with India, but that these ties should reflect “fairness and equality”. Mr Yunus said he had received a congratulatory phone call from Prime Minister Modi.

“We want the world to recognise Bangladesh as a respected democracy,” the 84-year-old, who opted for a ‘Chief Advisor’ title rather than ‘Prime Minister’, said in his first address to his nation.

READ | “Stay Silent In India Till…”: Md Yunus’ Message To Sheikh Hasina

For Ms Hasina, the Chief Advisor had stern warning, demanding she must remain silent to prevent compromising the two countries’ relationship till her extradition is sought. “If India wants to keep her till Bangladesh wants her back, the condition would be that she has to keep quiet,” he said.

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Remains of the Gazi auto tyre factory warehouse in Narayanganj, that continued to burn through August 27, 2024
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

A massive fire that began on August 25 in one of the largest tyre factories of Bangladesh is turning out to be a great human tragedy. Located in the industrial township of Narayanganj near Dhaka, the Gazi auto tyre factory of Rupshi, owned by Golam Dastgir Gazi, chairman of the once powerful Gazi group, is well known in the area.

The fortune of the Gazi group began to change with the fall of the Hasina government on August 5. Mr. Gazi, who was the Minister of Textile and Jute under Ms. Hasina was arrested on August 25. He had earlier gone into hiding.

Some time after the news of Mr. Gazi’s arrest was telecast, a large crowd gathered from nearby areas and raided the main warehouse in the back of the tyre factory that had many items, including a large amount of inflammable liquid substances.

ALSO READ: Bangladesh’s student movement and Hasina’s exit: the hard truth and India’s hour of reckoning

The exact size of the crowd that raided the five-storied warehouse is not known. According to store assistant Russel Hossein, who spoke to The Hindu, the size of the crowd filled up the entire staircase of the warehouse, indicating that there were several hundred people, who had turned up to cart away the materials hoping to earn some cash by selling them in the nearby scrap market.

“I saw men, women and even children had turned up to take away wires, rubber sheets and canisters full of liquid items,” said Mr. Hossein, recollecting the evening of August 25.

As the people entered the warehouse, a fire began in the lower portion of the building, which trapped everyone upstairs. “We stood at a distance and it turned totally dark as large explosions were heard from inside the warehouse. No one could escape. The fire spread fast,” said Mr. Hossein. The irony was that the store assistants and guards like Mr. Hossein were reportedly beaten up by the crowd before they broke into the warehouse.

The news of fire in the Gazi auto tyre factory was telecast in the morning of August 26 by TV channels as an attack by miscreants on the Gazi group-owned facility. However soon, family members began to turn up outside the tall gates of the unit, which brought to attention of the fire service and the district authorities that the fire was more than an incident of massive arson.

ALSO READ: A silent democratic backlash in South Asia

Sharyar Apu came to the factory in the evening of August 25, said his father Mohammed Umar Ali, who stood outside the facility for more than a day. Mr. Ali narrated to The Hindu that those who are missing are not labourers of the Gazi group.

“He had come here with his friends. They were young men,” recounted Mr. Ali, explaining that his son had come to the factory like many others that evening with the intention of taking items.

The multi-storied storage facility held sulphur, carbon black and unknown chemical agents that were supplied to other units of the Gazi group. Khadija Begum like Mr. Ali wept while narrating that her son-in-law had also come onto the premises with the crowd and has been missing since the evening of August 25.

Some of those who entered the Gazi auto tyre factory on August 25 and has been missing ever since had made brief phone calls, claiming that they were surrounded by fire and sought help. Nothing more has been heard about them.

Fire service officials and factory guards who met The Hindu claimed that the high intensity fire was fuelled by industry grade chemical agents that probably ignited because of careless handling by the raiding crowd which had broken into the facility after beating the guards and store keepers.

Till evening of Tuesday, the authorities maintained that at least 168 to 178 individuals had been missing because of the fire though wailing relatives outside the gate informed that the actual figure was much higher.

Mahmudul Haq, the District Collector who was controlling the emotionally charged crowd, said, “They literally rushed to commit suicide,” adding that strong policing could have prevented the tragedy from taking place.

Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. File.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

At least four more murder cases have been filed against Bangladesh’s deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her former cabinet ministers and aides, media reports said on Sunday (August 25, 2024).

kA murder case was filed on Sunday (August 25, 2024) against 76-year-old Ms. Hasina, former director general of Border Guard of Bangladesh Gen Aziz Ahmed and 11 others over the death of Abdur Rahim, an official of the then Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) in 2010, state-run BSS news agency reported.

Also read | Bangladesh’s student movement and Hasina’s exit: the hard truth and India’s hour of reckoning

Rahim, then deputy assistant director (DAD) of former BDR, was an accused in the case lodged over the carnage that took place in Pilkhana in 2010.  He died in jail custody on July 29 of the same year.

Rahim’s son Advocate Abdul Aziz filed the case with the court of the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Akteruzzaman.

Another murder case was filed on Sunday against Ms. Hasina and 48 others for killing a student of the Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) during the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement on July 18, the agency said.

Victim Shaikh Ashabul Yeamin’s uncle Abdullah-Al Kabir filed a plea to Dhaka Senior Judicial Magistrate Md Saiful Islam’s court Sunday, appealing to lodge a murder case against the 49 accused, it added.

Accepting the petition, the court ordered police to record the statement of the plaintiff and register the complaint as a first information report (FIR).

Awami League general secretary and former road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, among others, have been made accused in the case.

A separate case was filed against Hasina and 27 others over the killing of a seller of Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) products in the capital during the recent protests.

Mamunur Rashid, the brother-in-law of victim Md Eusuf Sanowar, filed the complaint with Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Saddam Hossain. The court asked the officer in charge of Jatrabari Police Station to accept the matter as a first information report (FIR).

The other prominent accused in the case are – Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader and former ministers Anisul Huq and Tajul Islam.

Another case was filed against 25 people, including Ms. Hasina, over the killing of an auto-rickshaw driver in the capital during the recent protests.

Ms. Hasina, the Awami League chairperson, now faces at least 53 cases, including 44 for murders, seven for crimes against humanity and genocide, one for abduction and one for an attack on a Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) procession.

Ms. Hasina resigned and fled to India on August 5 after unprecedented anti-government student-led protests against her government over a controversial quota system in jobs.

The Hasina-led government was replaced by an interim government, and 84-year-old Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was named its Chief Adviser.

Over 230 people were killed in Bangladesh in the incidents of violence that erupted across the country following the fall of the Hasina government, taking the death toll to more than 600 since the massive protest by students against a controversial quota system in government jobs first started in mid-July.

In August 2024, Bangladesh witnessed one of the most significant political upheavals in its recent history.

Also Read: Bangladesh jailbreaks a worry for India: think tank

What began as a protest against a controversial quota system in government jobs evolved into a nationwide movement that ultimately led to the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh’s longest serving political leader (from 1996-2001 and 2009-2024). The irony is that both the government and the students were initially aligned in their desire for quota reform, with the government preparing to appeal against the court order that led to the restoration of the quota system. The inevitable question then is what could have gone so wrong that the world’s longest serving female head of government was ousted within a week?

This movement was primarily led by students not affiliated with any political party, making it a genuinely organic uprising. The spark that ignited the protests came on June 5, when the High Court re-established a job quota reserving 30% of civil service posts for the children and grandchildren of freedom fighters of Bangladesh’s liberation war. This reignited a long-standing debate about the fairness of the quota system in government employment.

Also Read: Our intelligence failed to predict Bangladesh crisis, say experts

Initially, protests were peaceful and as the movement gained momentum, by July 7, students had escalated their actions, staging blockades and demanding rescinding of the quota. On July 10, a student’s blockade severely affected Dhaka’s transport system.

As the movement grew, so did the tension between the protesters and authorities. On July 14, a controversial statement by Prime Minister Hasina, referring to protesters as the “children of Razakars” (collaborators of Pakistani forces during the 1971 war), inflamed the situation. Ms. Hasina’s aggressive stance and derogatory comments aggravated the protesters, and the government had to shut down the internet to disrupt communication among protesters.

The last nail in the coffin was unleashing the Bangladesh Chhatra League, the much despised student wing of the ruling Awami League, who attacked protesters, which rapidly escalated and galvanised the movement as protests spread nationwide, with students from schools, colleges, and private universities joining. Major highways and railway lines were blocked, bringing much of the country to a standstill.

The government announced indefinite closure of all educational institutes. The situation reached a critical point on July 18 when approximately 20 students were killed amid clashes between the protesters and police. Thus, negotiations between the government and protest leaders began on July 19. However, these talks were marred by allegations of government coercion and the disappearance of key coordinators.

The beginning of the end

On July 21, the Supreme Court reduced the quota percentage from 30% to 7%. This was seen as a potential breakthrough, but it failed to quell the unrest due to the arrests of student protest coordinators. The movement persisted, with protesters resuming large-scale demonstrations on July 29 after the government ignored an ultimatum to release their leaders.

On August 2, the situation escalated with renewed clashes between protesters and police. The movement reached its climax on August 3 when the students movement announced their single key demand — the resignation of Sheikh Hasina. They called for a non-cooperation movement from August 4, effectively marking the end of the quota protests and the beginning of a broader anti-government movement. Violence shook the nation, with the death toll climbing to a nearly 100 people — the highest and deadliest death toll for a single-day protest in the nation’s history.

Public anger mounted, and on August 5 the “March to Dhaka” brought hundreds of thousands to the streets in Dhaka and other surrounding towns. It was at this point that law enforcers realised the situation was beyond control and advised Ms. Hasina to step down. She reportedly refused and urged for more forceful measures to subdue the crowd. In a crucial turn of events, the army refused to comply. Faced with a refusal from the military and a massive public uprising, Ms. Hasina finally fled the country. A revolution spearheaded by students succeeded in toppling an increasingly authoritarian regime that had been in power for 15 years.

The opposition and India’s position

Throughout this period, protests were marked by a complex interplay of various actors. Students formed the core of the movement, but with the loss of innocent lives, it increasingly became a mass popular movement joined by parents, teachers, lawyers, cultural activists, artists, professionals and civil society members. The international community also took notice, with organisations like UNICEF expressing concern over the deaths of at least 32 children during the crackdown. The protests highlighted deep-seated issues in Bangladesh’s political and social fabric, including concerns about authoritarian rule, lack of participative democracy, nepotism, corruption, and suppression of dissent.

In the aftermath of Ms. Hasina’s departure, there was an outpouring of pent-up anger towards anything associated with her and the Awami League. This included desecration of statues and murals of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, father of Sheikh Hasina who led Bangladesh’s war of liberation. Even if there is some element of truth in Awami League’s claim that the student movement was exploited by opposition parties, led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the right wing Jamaat-e-Islami, it does not take away from the fact that anger and discontent had been fuelling below the surface for a long time due to Ms. Hasina’s repressive style of governance wherein she suppressed opposition and presided over three controversial, non-participative elections in 2014, 2018, and 2024. If the opposition took advantage, hiding behind the cloak of the student movement, and unleashed unacceptable violence resulting in the loss and damage of public property and killing of law enforcers, Awami League can’t avoid responsibility by letting a one-point quota reform movement spiral out of control because of the sheer arrogance and high handedness it displayed from the very beginning.

The Indian government’s response, articulated by Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar on August 6, was notable for its omission of human rights violations and killings that had occurred. It appeared to downplay the democratic nature of the movement, instead framing it in a way that aligned with the Awami League’s narrative of external instigation. This approach has been criticised for failing to recognise the genuine grievances and widespread public discontent that fuelled the protests. India’s policy of turning a blind eye to Ms. Hasina’s exercise of hard power, often justified by some of the commendable economic progress and relative stability achieved during her rule, did not go well in Bangladesh. Most Bangladeshis view India’s relations as being aligned with one particular party and one person as opposed to the people of Bangladesh. This presents a challenge for India’s diplomacy and the need for having a more nuanced understanding of Bangladesh’s socio-political landscape.

As aptly stated by Shivshankar Menon, India’s former National Security Adviser and Foreign Secretary, “Primarily, it was a people’s movement. It was a revolution on the streets, and we should recognise it as such rather than looking for foreign influences or purely political explanations.” Additionally, the role of a section of the Indian media did not go well in Bangladesh where exaggerations and at times outright fake news, as verified by credible sources like BBC, about the persecution of Hindu minorities generated anger and resentment in Bangladesh when policies such as the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 and the persecution of Muslims in India in the last decade are fresh in their minds. While there may have been instances of attacks on minorities, what was notable is the open public vigil by students, activists, and even opposition parties against attack on minorities, particularly Hindus, with helplines and phone numbers given out for seeking support should any such attack take place. Professor Muhammad Yunus visited the Dhakeshwari National Temple, exchanged greetings with leaders of the Hindu community, and assured them of their safety and security.

What next?

As the movement transitioned from quota reform protests to a broader call for political change, Bangladesh is entering unchartered territory. Depending on how things unfold in the coming months as the interim government takes the reign of power, South Asia’s rising star is facing one of its biggest challenges on the path to achieving a pluralistic society based on democratic principles, rule of law, good governance, inclusive growth, and human rights. The events of 2024 would have far-reaching implications for the country’s political landscape, governance structures, and social dynamics.

Also Read: Nearly 650 people killed in recent spate of violence in Bangladesh: UN report

Given the open enmity Ms. Hasina displayed against the interim government leader Prof. Yunus, including the alleged corruption charges brought about by her government against the Nobel laureate, which he termed as politically motivated, the challenge for Prof. Yunus would be to rise to the occasion and hold a free, fair, and participative election in contrast to what the Awami League did for 15 years.

For India, the takeaway is the importance of engaging with the broader population rather than relying solely on relationships with one individual or party. Embracing the truth helps in the long run as opposed to either being in a state of denial or continuing the justification of misperceptions. After all, Bangladeshis know their country better than outsiders, including their friends and neighbours.

Syed Munir Khasru is chairman of the Institute for Policy, Advocacy and Governance, an international think tank.

New Delhi:

Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has spoken out strongly against attacks on the Hindu minority community in Bangladesh during the recent political unrest in the country following the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Condemning the violence, Mr Ramaswamy said the deeper issues in Bangladesh are rooted in the country’s long-standing, yet controversial, quota system.

“The targeted violence against Hindus in Bangladesh is wrong, it’s concerning, and it’s a cautionary tale for victimhood-laced quota systems,” Mr Ramaswamy wrote on X. 

The targeted violence against Hindus in Bangladesh is wrong, it’s concerning, and it’s a cautionary tale for victimhood-laced quota systems. Here’s what happened: Bangladesh fought a bloody war for its independence in 1971. Hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshi civilians were…

— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) August 14, 2024

Mr Ramaswamy went on to explain the origins of the quota system, which was implemented after the 1971 war that saw Bangladesh gain independence from Pakistan.

“Bangladesh fought a bloody war for its independence in 1971. Hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshi civilians were raped and murdered. It was a tragedy, and it was rightly mourned. But in its aftermath, Bangladesh implemented a quota system for jobs in their civil service: 80% of the jobs were allocated to specific social groups (war veterans, rape victims, underrepresented residents, etc.), and only 20% were allocated based on merit,” he said. 

The political turmoil in Bangladesh reached a climax on August 5, when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, aged 76, fled the country by helicopter to India as protesters overran the streets of Dhaka. Her 15-year rule, marked by allegations of human rights abuses, came to a dramatic end. The weeks leading up to her ousting were bloody, with more than 450 dying during the unrest. 

“The quota system proved to be a disaster,” Mr Ramaswamy claimed, pointing to the 2018 protests that led Bangladesh to scrap most of the quotas, only for them to be reinstated in 2024. The Indian-origin politician warned that such systems, designed to rectify past wrongs, can inadvertently perpetuate cycles of violence.

“Once chaos begins, it can’t easily be reined in. Radicals are now targeting Hindu minorities. A quota conflict created to rectify the wrongs of rape and violence in 1971 is now leading to more rape and violence in 2024. Bloodshed is the endpoint of grievance and victimhood. It’s hard not to look at Bangladesh and wonder what lessons we would do well to learn right here at home,” he said. 

Members of Ms Hasina’s Awami League party went into hiding, and the country plunged into further instability. According to reports from the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council and the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad, there have been at least 205 incidents of attacks on minority communities across 52 districts since Ms Hasina’s departure. Thousands of Bangladeshi Hindus have sought refuge in India, fearing for their safety in the volatile environment.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, on August 12, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

The United States “had no involvement” in ousting Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the White House said on Monday, describing the claim as “simply false.”

Ms. Hasina, 76, quit as Prime Minister on August 5 after a student-led uprising against her government and fled by helicopter to longtime ally India.

Asked about allegations of U.S. interference, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: “We have had no involvement at all.”

“Any reports or rumors that the United States government was involved in these events is simply false,” she told a press briefing.

“This is a choice for and by the Bangladeshi people. We believe that the Bangladeshi people should determine the future of the Bangladeshi government, and that’s where we stand.”

Ms. Hasina’s son and former government adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy had alleged that unidentified foreign forces supported the protests, a claim for which he provided no evidence.

“I believe, at this point, it is from beyond Bangladesh,” he said over the weekend.

“Only an intelligence agency would have the capability of smuggling and supplying weapons to protesters,” said the U.S.-based Wazed.

In May, Ms. Hasina had alleged that a “white-skinned” foreign country was conspiring against her government after it was refused permission to build an airbase.

“Next time, they said, no election will be held in the country,” she told a meeting of her then-ruling Awami League-led alliance, the Dhaka Tribune reported.

“We liberated this country through a war. I do not want to gain power by renting or giving certain parts of my country to anyone,” she was quoted as saying, claiming “the conspiracy is ongoing” without specifying which country was behind it.

The United States has generally had friendly relations with Bangladesh, with Hasina seen as a partner on a range of issues including shared concerns about Islamist extremism.

But Washington had been critical of what it saw as an undemocratic turn in Bangladesh and had previously restricted visas to Bangladeshis accused of undermining elections.

Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has been sworn in as head of an interim government following the ousting of the autocratic Hasina.

New Delhi:

Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus – who last week took oath as head of Bangladesh’s interim government – has heaped praise on students who spearheaded protests against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. “There is no doubt… because of the student-led revolution the whole government collapsed…” Mr Yunus told reporters after a Sunday night meet with the students.

“I said (to the students), ‘I respect you… I admire you. What you have done is absolutely unparalleled… and because you ordered me to do this (to take charge of the interim administration) I accept…’,” Mr Yunus said, recounting part of the conversation he had with the students.

Two of the student protesters – Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud – are part of a 16-member advisory council that was sworn in with Mr Yunus. The 84-year-old won the 2006 Nobel Peace prize for his work in microfinance and setting up the Grameen Bank, which works for community development.

READ | Md Yunus Takes Oath As Head Of Bangladesh Interim Government

Mr Yunus has also stressed the wave of resignations of high-ranking public officials, including the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and head of Bangladesh’s central bank, was “conducted legally”.

They had reportedly been issued ultimatums to quit.

READ | Why Bangladesh Chief Justice, Sheikh Hasina Loyalist, Was Forced To Quit

“They want to have a new court,” he said of the students. “So they went there and asked the chief justice to resign and put their pressure to make him resign.”

“I’m sure they will find the legal way to justify all of this, because legally… all the steps were followed,” he said. His office only agreed to publish these quotes Monday evening.

“The Monster Is Gone”

“Finally, this moment, the monster is gone,” Mr Yunus also said, referring to Ms Hasina’s departure and the end of what her critics said was an autocratic rule that stifled all dissent. 

However, Mr Yunus warned the interim government that public goodwill is a limited resource and that they would face many difficult decisions ahead. “The moment you start taking decisions, some people will like your decisions, some people will not like your decisions,” he said. “…that’s the way it works.”

Interim Bangladesh Government

The interim government was formed after Bangladesh witnessed weeks of violence and clashes – triggered by protests over a jobs quota – forced Ms Hasina, a five-time PM, to resign and flee.

READ | Explained: How Gen Z Women And Military Transformed Bangladesh

Sheikh Hasina left the Prime Minister’s residence in Dhaka – hours before it was overrun – and flew to India in a Bangladeshi military aircraft. The 76-year-old, seen as a key ally of New Delhi, remains in an undisclosed location amid reports she will seek political asylum, possibly in the United Kingdom.

Following Ms Hasina’s departure Md Yunus – who faced multiple corruption charges under the previous government and was in Europe while Sheikh Hasina was in power – was picked by the protesting to oversee democratic reforms.

His first act after being administered an oath of office – and taking the title of ‘chief advisor’ – was to lead a solemn tribute to the more than 450 people who died in the protests.

READ | Muhammad Yunus Honours Heroes, First Act As Bangladesh Interim Leader

It is unclear when Bangladesh will hold an election to select a new Prime Minister. Whenever that is, Mrs Hasina is likely to return to contest, her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy told The Times of India. “She will go back to Bangladesh the moment the interim government decides to hold an election,” he said.

India Extends “Best Wishes”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended his best wishes to Mr Yunus,

READ |PM Extends Best Wishes To Yunus, “Hopes For Safety Of Hindus”

“We hope for an early return to normalcy, ensuring the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities. India remains committed to working with Bangladesh to fulfil the shared aspirations of both our peoples for peace, security and development,” he wrote on X. 

READ | How Sheikh Hasina’s Ouster Affects India-Bangladesh Ties

With the change of guard in neighbouring Bangladesh, the Indian government now faces a diplomatic dilemma, even as China was also swift to welcome Dhaka’s new authorities, saying it “attaches importance to the development” of relations.

With input from agencies

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Dhaka:

Bangladeshi police resumed patrols of the capital Dhaka on Monday, ending a weeklong strike that left a law and order vacuum following the abrupt ouster of autocratic ex-premier Sheikh Hasina.

Officers vanished from the streets of the sprawling megacity of 20 million people last week after Hasina’s resignation and flight abroad ended her 15-year rule.

Police were loathed for spearheading a lethal crackdown on the weeks of protests that forced her departure, with 42 officers among the more than 450 people killed.

Police had vowed not to resume work until their safety on duty was guaranteed, but they agreed to return after late-night talks with the new interim government, helmed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.

“The police association ended its strike last night,” the force’s national spokesperson Enamul Haque Sagor told AFP.

“Police officers have returned to work today,” he added. “You can see them managing traffic in Dhaka’s streets.”

‘Heinous attacks’

Student-led protests against Hasina’s government had been largely peaceful until police attempted to violently disperse them.

Around 450 of the country’s 600 police stations were targeted in arson and vandalism attacks over the past month, according to the national police union.

Some began reopening late last week under guard by the army, an institution held in higher esteem for largely refusing to participate in the crackdown.

In the police’s absence, the students who led the protests that toppled Hasina volunteered to restore law and order after looting and reprisal attacks in the hours after her departure.

They acted as traffic wardens, formed overnight neighbourhood watch patrols and guarded Hindu temples and other places of worship, quickly settling the unrest.

Yunus’s “council of advisors”, the de facto cabinet now administering the country, said it had noted with “grave concern” some attacks on Hindus and other minorities.

In its first official statement on Sunday night, the cabinet said it would work to “find ways to resolve such heinous attacks”.

Bangladeshi Hindus account for around eight percent of the country’s 170 million people and have regularly been the targets of violence during periods of upheaval.

Hundreds have arrived on India’s border since last week, asking to cross.

Hasina, 76, fled by helicopter to neighbouring India a week ago as protesters flooded Dhaka’s streets in a dramatic end to her iron-fisted tenure.

Her government was accused of widespread human rights abuses, including the extrajudicial killing of thousands of her political opponents.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Watch: What led to Sheikh Hasina’s downfall?

Sheikh Hasina survived the carnage of August 15, 1975 by sheer chance. Hasina, who was then 28, happened to be abroad when almost all members of her family, including her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh, were killed at her residence in Dhaka by a group of army personnel. She then spent less than a decade in exile in India.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, she remobilised the Awami League, Mujib’s party, which played a crucial role in bringing down the military dictatorship of Muhammad Ershad in 1990. Six years later, the Awami League defeated the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of Khaleda Zia, and Ms. Hasina became the Prime Minister for the first time. She returned to power after an interregnum in 2009.

In the subsequent 15 years, Ms. Hasina oversaw economic progress in Bangladesh. The country saw millions being lifted out of poverty. Her government won international praise for hosting millions of Rohingya Muslim refugees who fled violence in neighbouring Myanmar. She set up a war crimes tribunal to hold those who aided the genocide of the 1970s accountable. She won back-to-back elections, the latest victory being in January 2024.

Still everything she built came crashing like a castle in the sand on August 5. The ‘iron lady’ of Bangladesh had to resign and leave the country. What went wrong for the most powerful Prime Minister Bangladesh had had in a generation?

Script and presentation: Stanly Johny

Video: Thamodharan B.

Production: Shikha Kumari

Also watch: New regime in Bangladesh | Lessons for India & South Asia

Also watch: The story of Sheikh Hasina

Dhaka:

Day after protests in Bangaldesh forced Sheikh Hasina to resign as the prime minister, students have now targeted the Supreme Court and are demanding the resignation of all judges, including the Chief Justice.

Hundreds of protesters, largely comprising students, have surrounded the Bangladesh Supreme Court, demanding the immediate resignation of Chief Justice. The situation escalated rapidly, with reports suggesting the Chief Justice may have fled the premises.

The protests were sparked by a full-court meeting called by the Chief Justice without consulting the newly formed interim government. Student protestors alleged that the judges of the court are part of a conspiracy, prompting outrage and demands for accountability.

As tensions mounted, the scheduled full-court meeting was abruptly called off. Protestors, undeterred, continued to besiege the Supreme Court, giving the Chief Justice a one-hour ultimatum to step down.

Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan has agreed to resign “in principle” after an ultimatum to do so from protesters, broadcaster Jamuna TV reported. He was appointed to helm the Supreme Court last year and is seen as a loyalist to ousted premier Sheikh Hasina

The fresh protests come days after a student-led uprising against government hiring rules resulted in Nobel peace prize winner Muhammad Yunus taking charge of a caretaker government.

At least 450 people were killed in more than a month of deadly protests that ended the autocratic rule of 76-year-old prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Hasina faces allegations of murder, forced disappearance, money laundering and corruption, and must face the law, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, a senior member of Bangladesh Nationalist Party said.

Hasina, one of Asia’s longest-serving leaders, resigned and fled Bangladesh on August 5 under pressure from millions of protesters who had taken to the streets for weeks to demand she step down.

An interim government was appointed in Bangladesh Thursday, led by Nobel Prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus. Under the constitution, an election needs to be called within 90 days, although Yunus, the military – which backs the interim government – and the president haven’t commented on when elections will be held.