Spread the love

By Our Reporter

Sheikh Hasina, who ruled Bangladesh with iron fists for 15 years by imprisoning the opposition leaders, disappearing opponents and suppressing the voices raised against her, not only resigned from the post of Prime Minister but fled the country in a dramatic development of political activities in Bangladesh on Monday.

A prime minister of the majority, she could not have thought of the consequences she faced on Monday that a protest of students against the quota system could have sparked widespread demonstrations across Bangladesh compelling her not only to step down but also flee the country.

In the election held in January this year, her party Awami League and its alliance had won 225 of 300 parliamentary seats. The opposition party—Bangladesh Nationalist Party– had boycotted the elections claiming that the elections held under Hasina could not be fair. In seven months after overwhelmingly winning the general elections, Hasina is now not only without a throne but also a nation. She reached India hours after the demonstrators entered her official residence and offices vandalizing them.

It is said that she faced the inevitable after she termed the students, who had demonstrated against the quota system in government and demanded compensation to the victims, terrorists. About 100 students were killed and several others sustained injuries in the weeklong demonstrations, whose intensity had decreased following a Supreme Court order to reduce the quota system to 5 per cent from 30 per cent.

But instead of addressing their demands Hasina, probably thinking that no one could shake her throne, termed those demanding an end to the quota system terrorists, and her words sparked another round of demonstrations of not only students but also of people, prompting thousands of people to march the streets of Dhaka by disobeying the curfew. Although police and the carders of Awami League fought with demonstrators, which culminated in 90 deaths on a single day on Sunday, Hasina was helpless before the people power. Immediately after she fled, crowds stormed her residence in Dhaka and looted everything from her fan to the Koran. The crowd also entered the parliament building.

Her election victory and a PM of majority looked mere technical, no voters came in her protection.

Now that Hasina quit not only power but also the country, it should serve as a big lesson to the leaders of South Asian countries. People cannot tolerate the dictatorial rule of the elected leaders, they do not believe the statistics presented by the rulers and a small spark will be enough to pull down a regime are what our leaders should learn from the fall of Hasina.

Interestingly, no leader was there to lead the demonstrations in Bangladesh. First, it was of students and later it was joined by the people fed up with the misrule, corruption and merciless crackdown on people’s voices.

Again, the Bangladesh case proved that backing from a foreign power will not be enough to remain in power. Hasina was backed by the Indian establishment; she was supported by India on every front even by recognising the rigged election she conducted in January this year. But India could not avert her downfall, it could only shelter her after she fled Bangladesh.

Now the parliament elected in January has been dissolved to pave the way for the formation of an interim government. Media reports have it that the student leaders are demanding that Nobel Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus should lead the transitional government.

The turmoil in Dhaka could also impact its neighbours, both Nepal and India. There is a widespread fear that millions of the supporters of the Awami League who fought against the demonstrators could enter India and Nepal. To avert this, India and Nepal had tightened their borders. Media have estimated that at least 10 million supporters of Hasina could leave Bangladesh for their safety and they could land in India and from India to Nepal.

Considering this, the Armed Police Force on Monday mobilised additional forces on the borders of Jhapa, Ilam, Morang and Sunsari in Koshi Province.