Bangladesh agitation: The Nobel laureate in microfinance Muhammad Yunus is about to appoint members of his provisional administration, which he would lead following the resignation of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, ending her 15-year second term in office, amid the ongoing violence and political unrest in Bangladesh.
On Thursday afternoon, Yunus—who student leaders suggested leading the temporary government—is anticipated to return to Bangladesh to start a new path.
Before leaving for his return to Bangladesh, Yunus thanked the courageous students who made “Second Victory Day” possible in a statement. Let’s utilize this fresh win to its fullest. Let’s not let our mistakes to cause this to disappear.
On the other hand, the incoming administration will face some challenges.
Organising elections
According to the Dhaka Tribune, the current version of the constitution only refers to elected governments and makes no mention of an interim administration. The article stated that the caretaker government clause was eliminated in 2011 by the 15th amendment to the constitution, which took effect during the Awami League’s 2009–14 mandate.
Elections should go place, according to Yunus, “within a few months.”
Experts, however, think that a redesign of the election body will be necessary. Apart from that, there’s still the question of who will run and how long the caretaker administration will last.
Political analyst Shoaib Ahamed told TRT World that Bangladesh must have free and fair elections. The process of assembling a capable cabinet could take several months. The police and judiciary must undergo reforms, and the election commission must be established and abolished.
Rebuilding Bangladesh’s democracy, which has suffered greatly in recent years, is a difficult challenge that the interim administration must take on, according to International Crisis Group analyst Thomas Kean, who spoke with AFP.
Will command rest with the Army?
The civilian leadership will lead the temporary administration. Students who are participating in protests have declared their opposition to a military regime. On the other hand, the Army can be involved in internal setup.
Ahmed asserted that the government will be headed by a civilian and that no military administration could be established since no one would accept military control.
According to Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center in Washington, “the military leadership will have a major role in overseeing this interim setup, even if it’s not formally heading it,” as stated by AFP.
Law and Order
It will be difficult to uphold law and order and restore harmony in a nation where protests have claimed the lives of over 400 people in the last several months. Bloomberg claims that despite Yunus having lived a huge portion of his life in the spotlight, little is known about his political background. The military took over the government of Bangladesh in 2007 after it broke apart. Having never run for office, Yunus thought about creating a new party to fill the void, but he eventually gave up on the idea after only a few weeks.
“Any interim government should prioritize safeguarding people’s rights to life, free expression, and peaceful assembly while also identifying strategies to defuse potentially explosive situations.” AFP quoted Smriti Singh of Amnesty International.
The new president of the Bangladesh Police Association, Md. Abdullahhel Baki declared that the police are the people’s allies. But because of political resentment, the police force was transformed into a force that carried clubs under Hasina’s administration.
Booming economy
Reviving the business and banking sectors would be the primary obstacles, according to Shoaib Ahamed, who also expressed hope that Yunus’s forty years of expertise would be light.
Numerous businesses have been impacted by protest-related fires, particularly the apparel sector. Trade between nations has also been impacted by the war. Bangladesh’s economy is at a crossroads, according to an editorial in the Daily Star. It lists the primary obstacles as rising inflation, a large number of default loans, bad governance in the banking industry (and beyond), declining foreign exchange reserves, and corruption.