August 12th 2024.
Three days after Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled Bangladesh, the country's only Nobel laureate, Muhammad Yunus, stepped in as the "chief adviser" of a caretaker government. The main goal of this government was to restore peace and democracy, which had been eroded during Hasina's 15-year rule, according to her critics. Bangladesh has been in turmoil since a student-led uprising against an "unjust" job quota and the violence and killings that occurred under Hasina's leadership. Right-wing groups, supporters of the Opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, and jihadi organizations are believed to be behind the retaliatory violence that is currently plaguing the country.
Yunus faces many challenges, but one of the most pressing is restoring law and order. In the past few days, there have been attacks on the homes of Awami League politicians, sporadic attacks on temples, and homes of minority Hindus who were perceived to be close to Hasina. The police have been noticeably absent, as students have taken on traffic management duties in the busy streets of Dhaka. The students have explained that many police officers and men have refused to work until there is peace and they are no longer under attack. The protesters are angry at the police's harsh crackdown on students during the quota protests and subsequent violence. Interestingly, Yunus stated after being sworn in that his caretaker government is committed to bringing freedom to every home, but also promised to hold accountable those who had committed wrongdoing during Hasina's tenure. These words have been interpreted by some as a call to action for the street mobs to take matters into their own hands and hold people accountable.
The interim government is a mix of experienced and young leaders, including rights activists, professors, lawyers, former government officials, and other prominent members of Bangladesh's civil society. However, what has caused the most controversy is the inclusion of two 26-year-old student leaders who led the recent movement against Hasina. Nahid Islam, a sociology student at Dhaka University, has been given the telecommunications portfolio, while Asif Mahmud, a linguistics student at the same university, will handle sports. Defending their inclusion, Islam stated that if Bangladesh is led by its youth, the country will stay true to its goals. Mahmud also expressed confidence in his ability to face the challenges ahead, stating that their goal is to eradicate fascism by reforming the state institutions that were damaged under the previous regime.
Other notable figures in the new government include former army officer M Sakhawat Hossain as the Minister of Home Affairs. He was previously close to Hasina's Awami League but supported the student protests against her government. The Ministry of Finance has been given to Saleh Uddin Ahmed, who was in charge of the central bank during the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party's rule from 2001 to 2006. Former diplomat and columnist Touhid Hossain will handle foreign affairs. There are also other impressive leaders in the new government, such as climate change minister Syeda Rizwana Hasan, a recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for her environmental work, and rights activist Adilur Rahman Khan, who will be responsible for industries. Electoral reforms activist Sharmeen Murshid will lead the Ministry of Social Welfare, and women's rights activist and advocate for biodiversity-based ecological agriculture Farida Akhter will be in charge of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock.
The new cabinet also includes former Attorney General Hasan Ariff, Yunus' long-time associate Nurjahan Begum, and Muslim leader and academic Khalid Hossain. There are still three more ministers to be announced, including psychiatrist Bidhan Ranjan Roy from the Hindu community, Supradip Chakma from the indigenous Chakma community in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, and independence fighter Faruk-e-Azam. On paper, this interim government is impressively diverse, with leaders from all walks of life. It remains to be seen if they can steer the country of 170 million people out of what one member of the cabinet has called a "dark era," and avoid the possibility of military rule or a fundamentalist-controlled regime. Bangladesh is facing many challenges, and it is uncertain if any of its neighboring countries will be able to offer assistance in this time of crisis.
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