On Aug 5, Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina was forced to resign amid the growing civil unrest and mass protests by students,professors and civil associations.
The Bangladesh Quota Reform movement 2024 initially started to restructure the discriminatory quota system for appointments to various government job recruitements,the movement took a violent turn when the govt resorted to gunshots being fired by the police on the protesters,thus causing mortalities. Most of the dead being students, the people in bangladesh started to view the government and its actions as authoritarian.
In June 2024 Supreme Court of Bangladesh ruled in favour of decendants of freedom fighters who have approached the court for reinstating the 30% quota given to the descendants of freedom fighters who fought in creation for bangladesh in the war of 1971.
In 2018 Quota reform, the government of Bangladesh led by Sheikh Hasina had cut down the reservation down to 7 % in totality, giving 5% to descendants of freedom fighters and 2 % to physically handicapped persons.The fears of protesters were allayed by keeping open the rest 93% recruitements on merit. Chatra League , the student wing and other factions of Awami League Party like Jubo League and Swechasebek League are rumoured to be using firearms to suppress the dissenters.
The mobile network blackout and social media ban practically isolated the people from rest of the world and this unrest withing the country and spiralling of violence caused the military to give an ultimatum to Sheikh Hasina and she was forced to resign. The military took over and within days Muhammad Yunus, economist and the only nobel laureate from the country was brought back to the country from UAE to head the interim government .
Muhammad Yunus, the caretaker PM and the pioneer behind the Grameen Bank model was also charged of embezzlemt of funds but sebsequently the charges were dropped against him and the way was made to bring him back to head the interim government. Meanwhile there are rumours of Bangladesh National Party leader Khaleda Zia who is also in jail being approached by the government to fight the elections and her release for that purpose.
The GOI was quick enough to respond to the situation and PM Sheikh Hasina was flown to India and she landed at the Hindon Air Base. Two rafale fighter jets were made airborne from Hasimara Airbase which escorted Sheikh Hasina during her flight to India.
Bngladesh remains affected with people vandalising the buildings, the busts of Bangabandhu- Sheikh Mujib Ur Rehman ,the Prime Ministers palace being looted by the protesters . PM Narendra modi had congratulated the interim caretaker PM Yunus. India has expectations of Mutual Cooperation but the sentiments of people of bangladesh are against india as they find Sheikh Hasina whom they consider enemy of Bangladesh being given refuge by India.
How long will it take to hold elections in the country is a fact that is unknown, the news of minority Hindus being subjected to violence is disturbing for India. India with a boundary of 4096 km with bangladesh, and various developmental projects in which india has infused billions of dollars needs to be ever prepared for the corollaries that may follow.
-By
Advocate Divyam Kalsotra
LLM (Constitutional Law)
Practising at High Court of Jammu Kashmir & Ladakh
