Bangladesh Prime Minister suddenly announces resignation
2024-08-07
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Our correspondent in Pakistan Cheng Shijie and our correspondent Bai YuanAccording to the Dhaka Tribune, protests against the quota system for public posts in Bangladesh are intensifying. The Bangladesh military said on the 5th that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had announced her resignation and left the country on the same day. On the same day, Bangladesh Army Chief of Staff Wake-Uzi Zaman delivered a national speech saying that the military will assist in the establishment of an interim government to govern the country. Reuters reported that since August 4, local time, protesters have clashed violently with police and security forces, resulting in at least 91 deaths and hundreds of injuries.In a report on the 5th, the Dhaka Tribune stated that the defense of the Prime Minister's Office where Hasina lived was breached by some protesters on the 5th, forcing her to temporarily move and now leave Bangladesh. Indian media reported that India provided Hasina with a safe corridor for refuge, and she has arrived somewhere in India and may plan to travel from India to London in the future. Hasina is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the leader of the Bangladesh independence movement. She first served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh in 1996 and then served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh from 2009 to 2024.The Dhaka Tribune reported that Zaman confirmed in his speech that Hasina had resigned before leaving Bangladesh, and that the military would establish an interim government as soon as possible to ensure domestic security and stability. Currently, the military has convened a meeting of major political parties in Bangladesh to discuss the establishment of an interim government. The meeting was attended by the former opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.Regarding the current protests in the capital Dhaka, Zaman said there was no need to declare a state of emergency or impose military rule, but called on people to calm down and return home to wait for the results of negotiations on the formation of an interim government. He stressed that the military would ensure that Bangladesh remained safe and stable during this period.According to Reuters, protests broke out in the capital Dhaka after the Bangladesh High Court restored a quota allocation system for civil servants in July. On July 21, the Bangladesh Supreme Court intervened and ruled to significantly reduce the quota ratio. But the protesters did not recognize the result and further proposed that Hasina resign. Hasina responded strongly, calling the protesters criminals and saboteurs.In addition, Reuters reported on the 5th that due to clashes between Bangladesh security forces and protesters, many civilians were killed and injured, which further intensified the protests. In the capital Dhaka and surrounding areas, the offices of Hasina's party, the Awami League, and the leaders' offices were attacked by protesters, and Hasina's own Prime Minister's Office was also attacked.Qatar's Al Jazeera commented on the 5th that in this protest, the Bangladesh military has become an important factor in coordinating various political factions and ensuring national stability. Al Jazeera reported that Army Chief of Staff Zaman is the actual top leader of the Bangladesh military, 58 years old. He has maintained a good relationship with the Hasina family for 35 years in the army. He himself served as the chief of the armed forces under Hasina's Prime Minister's Office. It is reported that Hasina's father and family were killed in a military coup, and a series of subsequent military coups caused serious domestic political turmoil in Bangladesh in the 1970s and 1980s. In 2006, the ruling party and the opposition party in Bangladesh clashed over the election issue. The military announced its intervention, but did not establish a military government, but facilitated the establishment of an interim government. The interim government postponed the election for nearly two years until the end of 2008. At that time, the People's Alliance led by Hasina won the election.Bangladesh's Business Standard newspaper said on the 5th that the protests were related to the country's economy. Since Bangladesh's economic development relies on export trade, the current poor global economic environment has led to a reduction in export orders and difficulties in paying workers' wages. The US dollar exchange rate has caused currency turmoil and inflation in Bangladesh, and these difficulties have directly affected the lives and livelihoods of the Bangladeshi people. According to statistics from the Asian Development Bank, the inflation rate in 2023 will rise from 6.2% to 9.0%. According to the agency's forecast, Bangladesh's economic growth rate will be difficult to increase in the next few years, while the inflation rate will continue to remain high.Hasina's sudden resignation also surprised neighboring India. "India has lost its best friend in Asia," Shashank Mattu, a reporter for India Today, wrote on the social platform X on the 5th, saying that Hasina's resignation is a very worrying thing for India. India Today said on the 4th that any instability in Bangladesh will spill over to neighboring Indian regions. The Hindu said on the 5th that the past 15 years have been the best period for India-Bangladesh relations. Hasina is a stabilizer who has effectively balanced external powers. Her resignation is a huge setback for India. ▲
