Mr Yunus has taken the title of “chief adviser” to the interim government, which is made up of civilians except for a retired brigadier general. File | Image credit: Reuters
Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus and his newly appointed interim government set out to restore “law and order” on Friday after a student-led uprising and deadly mass protests forced their predecessor, Sheikh Hasina, into exile.
A day after returning from Europe and vowing to “uphold, support and protect the constitution” at his swearing-in ceremony, 84-year-old Yunus began the difficult challenge of returning the country to democracy.
“The biggest challenge is law and order,” Touhid Hossain, who has taken over the foreign ministry, told reporters. “If that is ensured, the rest will be fine.”
Mrs Hasina, 76, who is accused of numerous human rights abuses including the imprisonment of her political opponents, fled by helicopter to neighboring India on Monday as protesters flooded the streets of Dhaka, marking a dramatic end to her 15-year rule.
The military announced her resignation and subsequently acceded to students’ demands that Yunus – who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his pioneering work in the field of microfinance – should lead a transitional government.
Yunus, who has taken the title of “chief adviser” to the interim government, which is made up of civilians except for a retired brigadier general, has said he wants to hold elections “within a few months.” It is unclear when elections might take place.
Representatives of Hasina’s former ruling party, the Awami League, have gone into hiding after some of their offices were set ablaze in revenge attacks. Meanwhile, former opposition groups such as the prominent Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) are rebuilding their strength after years of crushing repression.
Several of Yunus’ advisers have loose ties to the BNP, which is led by Hasina’s longtime rival and former prime minister Khaleda Zia, who is 78 and has just been released from years of house arrest.
– “Forging reconciliation” –
Yunus wrote in The Economist this week that his country needs a new generation of politicians “who are not obsessed with settling scores, as too many of our previous governments have been.”
For Syeda Rizwana Hasan, a leading environmental activist and lawyer tasked with overseeing climate change, the transition offers an opportunity to change the country’s political course.
“My plan is to lay the foundation to put Bangladesh on a truly liberal democratic path,” she said.
Former student leader Nahid Islam, now information adviser in the cabinet, also shared this desire for change. “This government was formed through a mass uprising and the people have this trust,” said 26-year-old Islam. “Our goal is to rebuild the Bangladesh we dreamed of as soon as possible.”
But the new government faces a daunting task. Yunus called for order to be restored in the South Asian country after weeks of violence that left at least 455 people dead. He called on citizens to protect each other, including minorities who have been attacked.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Gwyn Lewis on Friday praised Yunus’ “call for calm and peace” and added that she would “work with all parties to achieve reconciliation.”
– ‘Victory Day’ –
Hasina’s flight abroad has only increased resentment against India, which played a crucial military role in securing Bangladesh’s independence but also supported Hasina to the utmost.
Her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy told the Times of India According to the newspaper, his mother still has hopes of running for political office. “She will return to Bangladesh as soon as the interim government decides to hold new elections,” he said.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first to convey his “best wishes” to Yunus on Thursday, shortly after his swearing-in, saying New Delhi was “committed” to working with neighboring Dhaka.
India’s arch-rival Pakistan also expressed its hope on Friday for strengthening relations with Dhaka. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wished Yunus “every success in leading Bangladesh into a harmonious and prosperous future.”
China also welcomed the interim government and pledged to work with the country to “promote exchanges and cooperation.” In the pouring rain, Yunus performed his first official duty as head of state, standing silently alongside students and civil society representatives.
Together, the group laid a wreath in the red and green colors of the national flag at the main monument in memory of the millions of people who lost their lives in Bangladesh’s war of independence against Pakistan in 1971.
Yunus said on arrival in Dhaka on Thursday that Hasina’s ouster was as significant as the conflict that gave birth to Bangladesh. “Bangladesh has created a new day of victory,” he told reporters. “Bangladesh has achieved a second independence.”
