With a change of government in Bangladesh a fortnight ago, there’s no clarity yet as to the character of the new dispensation. With social activist and Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus having been installed as chief adviser to the interim government guided by the army, he has emerged as its face. Many view him as the head of the dispensation but the army is likely to be calling the shots there until elections are held and a popular government is installed. Yunus stated at the, ‘Third Voice of Global South Summit,’ hosted by India on Saturday that his government was “committed to a transition to inclusive and pluralistic democracy through free, fair and participatory elections.” This promise, though, would be taken with a pinch of salt. The scenario in Bangladesh is evolving after the abrupt exit of Sheikh Hasina in a silent coup, in which the army chief gave her no more than a couple of hours to pack up and exit for good.
India has reasons to feel concerned not only because a friendly dispensation in Dhaka has been ejected from power, but also for the massive attacks on minority Hindus and their temples in its aftermath and for the way the new dispensation there chose to snap communications with Delhi. The gulf is so wide that it took a week’s time for Yunus to turn to India and call Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the phone. He, however, promised Modi that the Indians in Bangladesh were taken care of and the attackers would be tracked down and punished. This was after the PM expressed his concern over the issue in his Independence Day speech. Yunus’ promise might not necessarily be a guarantee to the safety of minorities in Bangladesh, given the volatile situation there.
The scenario in Bangladesh is evolving. The student protesters, whose leaders are part of the interim government, are planning to form a political party, fight polls and rule the nation. However, the mood of the people in Bangladesh is yet to be ascertained – as to whether they approve of the student uprising against Sheikh Hasina or not. She was disliked by segments of the population for multiple reasons but primarily because she had turned into a ‘dictator,’ jailing opponents and stifling free speech. Yet, a general impression has been that she remained the most popular leader. The students are yet to prove their popular support. The public mood can be gauged only through free and fair polls. The polls that Sheikh Hasina held earlier this year had been boycotted by the Opposition. Clearly, the main opposition BNP is weak. The Jamaat-e-Islami with a fundamentalist streak and alleged links to Pakistan too never had major public support. Chances are that fresh elections in Bangladesh would take time. The scenario would, in the interim, remain in a state of flux.
