Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina in New Delhi on June 22, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

The story so far:

A week after protests in Bangladesh boiled over, forcing former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India, there’s little clarity about her future. While the Narendra Modi government has given her shelter, it has also moved to engage the regime that replaced the Awami League government, even as it counts the cost of Bangladesh’s political changes on India’s relations with the country.

Is Ms. Hasina’s ouster a setback for India?

Ms. Hasina’s removal from power in Bangladesh is no doubt a dramatic setback for India, as both countries have transformed ties on every front in the past decade and a half. The worry is that all the progress made on the economic front, border security, defence, and strategic ties, trade and connectivity, and linking people-to-people could be undone.

What kind of transformation did her reign bring to relations between the two neighbours?

From her return to office (2009), Ms. Hasina made her intentions to forge strong ties with Delhi clear. She began a nationwide crackdown to shut down terror camps, a campaign against religious radicalisation, and extradited over 20 “most wanted” men accused of terrorism and crime to India. In sharp contrast to her predecessor Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s government, Ms. Hasina also worked on ending border tensions caused by illegal immigration into India, particularly the 2001 incident where brutal BDR-BSF clashes left 15 dead. Several border patrolling agreements and the signing of the historic 2015 land boundary agreement followed.

In India, the Manmohan Singh government followed by the Modi government gave Bangladesh trade concessions and low-interest Lines of Credit to help Ms. Hasina take a country, once called the “basket case” of the global economy, to a developing country, that outstripped its neighbours on human development indices. India and Bangladesh worked on enhancing trade through connectivity, border ‘haats’, andrail, road and river links. This year Ms. Hasina and Mr. Modi even essayed new defence cooperation. Though Ms. Hasina’s government grew more and more authoritarian in the past decade, banning and arresting Opposition leaders, legislating tighter controls on the media, and filing hundreds of cases against any civil society group that criticised her, New Delhi remained steadfast in supporting her. In turn, Ms. Hasina stood with India on every issue, from boycotting SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) over terrorism from Pakistan, to the Citizenship Amendment Act that set off protests in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has become a lynchpin to India’s regional connectivity plans to Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific, and an important buyer of Indian energy off the subcontinental grid. The worry is that many of the agreements signed, including the most recent power agreement with the Adani group, will now be reviewed.

Can New Delhi forge similar ties with the new government?

New Delhi has shown that it continues to engage the interim government and any future elected government in Dhaka. The Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka, Pranay Verma, attended the swearing-in ceremony of the new interim government led by Muhammad Yunus.

However, several issues complicate the Modi government’s ties with the new regime in Bangladesh. Firstly, Ms. Hasina’s presence in India is viewed with suspicion in Dhaka. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s statement in Parliament that she has come to India just “for the moment” indicates that New Delhi would like to see her travel elsewhere until some of the anti-Hasina sentiments in Bangladesh die down. Things will get trickier if the new government there demands her extradition.

Secondly, elections in Bangladesh could throw up the BNP as winners, and India’s experience with Ms. Zia’s last stint in power (2001-2006) was bitter. During that time, Bangladesh became a haven for violent anti-India separatist groups, and China and Pakistan made inroads. It remains to be seen if two decades on, another BNP government will be different. Thirdly, Mr. Modi’s appeal for the safety of Hindus and other minorities, as well as the Ministry of Home Affairs setting up a five-member committee to “maintain communication channels with their counterpart authorities in Bangladesh to ensure the safety of Indian citizens and people belonging to minority communities in Bangladesh,” are being seen as partisan in Dhaka. Hundreds have been killed in violence in the past few weeks; Mr. Modi’s appeal and setting up of the committee will further complicate Delhi-Dhaka ties.

Will Bangladesh’s ties with other countries change?

The immediate impact of the changes in Dhaka will be felt in ties with the U.S., which was consistently inimical to the Hasina government, and has even been accused of instigating her downfall. Last year, the U.S. State Department passed a special visa policy to “promote democracy” in Bangladesh, seeking to sanction officials who attempted to subvert elections. This was targeted at Ms. Hasina and the Awami League, and thus ties with the new dispensation will likely improve. Bangladesh’s ties with Pakistan had also been tense during Ms. Hasina’s tenure, and that could change. Ms. Hasina had close ties with China, joining the Belt and Road Initiative and meeting President Xi Jinping. Beijing will likely forge equally strong ties with the new government in Dhaka.

Image for representation purpose only.

“Twin jailbreaks in Bangladesh killed at least 12 inmates and freed hundreds more in the chaotic days after the ouster of autocratic premier Sheikh Hasina,” officials told AFP on Saturday (August 10, 2024).

An interim government is struggling to restore law and order, with police going on strike after Ms. Hasina’s sudden resignation and flight abroad after 15 years in power.

Also Read: Analysis on why Hasina fell

This week’s prison escapes, both north of the capital Dhaka, are the latest in a series of breakouts during weeks of nationwide unrest leading up to her toppling.

“Six convicts were killed at Jamapur Prison on Thursday (August 8, 2024) after prison guards were assaulted by escapees,” warden Abu Fatah told AFP.

“They attacked us with iron rods and sharp weapons. They torched my office. Then try to break out and take all 600 prisoners with them,” he said. “We were forced to open fire. At least six inmates were killed, including one who was stabbed to death.”

Also Read: Bangladesh after Sheikh Hasina’s resignation in photos

Fatah said guards managed to quell the attack before anyone escaped.

“On Tuesday (August 6, 2024), another six prisoners were shot dead during a mass breakout at a high-security prison in Kashimpur, just 30 kilometres (20 miles) north of Dhaka,” warden Lutfor Rahman told AFP.

Rahman said the inmates used iron tools and rebar rods to attack guards and broke through the jail’s main gate, forcing army soldiers and jail guards to open fire. “At least 203 prisoners also managed to escape,” he said.

Kashimpur High Security Prison hosts some of Bangladesh’s most notorious convicts, including Islamist extremists and murderers. Rahman said none of the high-profile inmates had managed to break out of their cells.

Numerous attempted and successful jailbreaks have taken place across Bangladesh since protests against Hasina’s government began last month.

More than 800 prisoners fled a jail in the central district of Narsingdi in July when a mob of thousands attacked the British colonial era institution and set the warden’s office on fire.

On Monday (August 5, 2024), the day of Hasina’s ouster, more than 500 inmates fled a jail in the northern district of Sherpur.

In Focus podcast | What do the student protests signify for the Sheikh Hasina regime in Bangladesh?

More than 450 people died during weeks of clashes between police and protesters leading up to Hasina’s ouster, including dozens of police officers. Police unions declared a strike on Tuesday (August 6, 2024) and said officers would not resume duty until their safety was assured.

“More than half of the country’s police stations have since reopened,” according to the force.

Indo-Bangla bilateral ties are not dependent on the Awami League and it is “natural to evoke adverse reactions” in Bangladesh over India giving refuge to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Senior leaders of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said on Friday, August 9, 2024.

Ground Zero:The making of the Bangladesh revolt

Asserting that India was “very important” to Bangladesh, Senior BNP leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain told PTI over the phone from Dhaka that “it is high time to start a new chapter in bilateral relations.”

Mr. Hossain also welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s congratulatory message to the interim government in Bangladesh and hoped that the Indian government would no longer continue to support the Awami League and Sheikh Hasina, who was forced to flee the country following a mass uprising.

Echoing similar sentiments, BNP Vice-Chairman Abdul Awal Mintoo said it would have been better had Hasina not fled to India.

“It would have been better had she not fled to India, as we are yearning to have good relations with India. Bangladesh and its people believe and see India as a friend,” Mr. Mintoo told PTI.

He noted, however, that India is well within its rights, as per international law, to give refuge to someone they choose.

BNP govt. had ‘excellent relations’ with India: Hossain

Mr. Hossain said, “the impact of Sheikh Hasina getting refuge in India is quite natural. For example, if I don’t like you and someone else is supporting you, then I will naturally have a dislike for that person too. It is natural to have adverse reactions. But the fact is India-Bangladesh always shared good ties irrespective of whether the Awami League or Sheikh Hasina is in power.” “When BNP was in power, I was a minister in the Bangladesh government; we had seen how both countries shared an excellent relationship. India is very important to Bangladesh, as India has always supported the people of Bangladesh. Both countries will continue to have good bilateral ties,” he added.

The 77-year-old leader said the people of Bangladesh hope that the Indian government will “not always support a corrupt and dictatorial regime like the Awami League.” “We think the people of India have also realised this,” he said.

When asked if the BNP wants Ms. Hasina to be handed over to Bangladesh, he replied, “It is for the interim government to decide; as BNP, we have not taken a call on it.” Mr. Hossain also expressed hope that normalcy and democratic rights of the people would be restored at the earliest under the interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus.

Mr. Yunus took the oath as the head of an interim government in Bangladesh. Yunus, 84, was administered the oath of office by President Mohammed Shahabuddin at a ceremony in Dhaka.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country following widespread protests against her government over a controversial quota system in jobs. She flew to the Hindon air base, near Delhi, in a Bangladesh military aircraft on Monday.

Also read: Protests in Tripura over alleged attacks on minorities, destruction of sculptors in restive Bangladesh

The veteran BNP leader welcomed the Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka attending the swearing-in ceremony of the interim government on Thursday, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s congratulatory message to the new regime. “It is high time to start a new chapter in bilateral relations,” he asserted.

“The Indian Prime Minister has congratulated the new interim regime; the Indian High Commissioner to Dhaka attended the ceremony. So we feel that India supports the new interim government and does not support those who fled the country,” he said.

Prime Minister Modi on Thursday, August 8, 2024, extended best wishes to Muhammad Yunus as he took the oath as the head of an interim government in Bangladesh, hoping for an early return to normalcy and ensuring the safety of Hindus and other minority communities in that country.

On his part, Mr. Mintoo said it is a “well-known fact in Bangladesh” that it was due to the support of their big neighbour that the Awami League could continue in power for so long despite deep resentment against its government.

Speaking on India’s closeness with the Awami League, Mr. Mintoo said, “It might have a small and temporary impact on bilateral ties, but it is in the interest of Bangladesh that it should not be long-standing.” “It is in the interest of Bangladesh that we should have very good relations with India. I would not have said this had this been any other neighbouring country like Bhutan or Nepal, but India is a very big country and one of the largest economies in the world. For the sake of good bilateral ties, both countries need to sit and talk and resolve the differences,” he said.

When asked about the INDIA OUT campaign in Bangladesh, both Mr. Hossain and Mr. Mintoo said these are “stray and temporary incidents” and neither the people of Bangladesh nor the BNP support such campaigns.

Mr. Mintoo said the new interim government of Bangladesh should immediately engage in dialogue with India to resolve all issues.

Regarding the comments during an interview to PTI by Sajeeb Wazed Joy, the son of Sheikh Hasina, that his mother will return to Bangladesh as soon as democracy is restored, Mintoo said, “Whether she wants to return or not is up to her; we can’t comment on it.” “The law of Bangladesh will take its own course. There are several cases of corruption and human rights violations during the Awami League regime,” he said.

Although Mr. Mintoo didn’t mention any timeline, he noted that his party, led by former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, wants elections to be held at the earliest so that a democratic government can be established.

At least 469 people have died in the anti-government protests in Bangladesh in nearly three weeks since the protests began in July.

As dawn approached on Saturday morning of July 20, 2024 a disturbing scene unfolded in Monsur Nagar Housing Estate in Savar upazila, on the outskirts of Dhaka. Some eight to 10 plainclothes men identifying themselves as being from the detective branch (DB) of Bangladesh Police, surrounded the home of Abul Khair, a 70-year-old, who had fought in the 1971 war for freedom. The officers, armed and aggressive, began shouting and demanded that Khair open the gate, threatening to break it down if he did not. Soon, they forcefully entered, seized the family’s phones and detained Khair’s two sons, Arif Sohel, 27, and Mohammad Ali Jowel.

While Jowel was released, Sohel went missing for the next 36 hours. No police station the family approached denied his detention; nor did they show his arrest, says the family. He was allegedly beaten up and not given food. For this brief spell, the family says Sohel was another victim of ‘enforced disappearance’, a common tactic the people of Bangladesh say the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government used, to suppress dissent. Then, he was officially shown as arrested and placed on a seven-day remand in a case his family says is fabricated. Sohel’s father says, “The behavior of the law enforcement agencies was similar to that of the Pakistani military during the Liberation War.”

Sohel is a student and convener of the Jahangir Nagar University of Students Against Discrimination movement that swept the country from July 1. The students were protesting the June 5 Dhaka Supreme Court ruling to reinstate a 30% government job quota for descendants of 1971 independence war veterans (the quota had been withdrawn in 2018).

Student unrest

Like many other movements across the world, including India’s Mandal Commission and China’s Tiananmen square, students across Bangladesh took to the streets in the thousands. They demanded the abolition of the quota and the establishment of a merit-based system instead. Underlying the anti-quota protests though, was the fear that members of the Awami League, the political party that led Bangladesh’s independence movement against Pakistan, would benefit.

The student protests were met with a brutal reaction from the government. Citizens went through raids, in which thousands of students, opposition leaders, and others were arrested for their alleged involvement in the Students Against Discrimination movement. A curfew was imposed on the midnight of July 19. Images of the army and police firing on students came out of the country, with India saying this was Bangladesh’s “internal matter”, the same way that Hasina’s government had described India’s Citizenship Amendment Act in 2022. In fact, Hasina was the first state guest to visit India after the Bharatiya Janata Party government came to power for a third term this year.

When violence broke out, about 300 Indian students who had been pursuing MBBS degrees, returned home. The internet was cut, and it was difficult to reach friends and relatives. So far, 439 people have died in the violence, as per Prothom Alo, a leading newspaper in Bangladesh.

Under pressure from students, the Supreme Court scaled back the quota on July 21 to 5%, with an additional 2% for ethnic minorities. Sifat Hasan Sakib, one of the organisers from Dhaka’s government-run Jagannath University, says, “We fought against discrimination, and students won the fight, even at the cost of lives. We want a peaceful environment on university campuses, which has been absent for a long time due to the student wing of the Awami League, Bangladesh Chhatra League. Regular students’ union elections can play a crucial role in protecting the rights of students.”

Students say the Bangladesh Chhatra League dominates student life on campus, doling out privileges only to its members, and capturing posts that no other student organisation was allowed to hold. Abdullah Al Mamun, a recent graduate from the English Department of Dhaka College, expressed his frustration, saying, “There was no alternative but to take to the streets in protest…. Sheikh Hasina would often boast about economic development, but at the same time, she allowed Chhatra League to dismantle the education system in Bangladesh.”

He says the integrity of job examinations was severely compromised. “It was common for exam paper leaks. Moreover, the viva boards were biased, often favoring candidates affiliated with Chhatra League. This left general students with little hope of securing a job. The system was rigged against us.”

Bangladesh’s tipping point

Similar to how the 1857 uprising was sparked by a long history of disenchantment with British oppression, the students’ movement emerged from deep-seated political and social angst against authoritarianism and human rights violations. Thousands joined from across the country, and it was so strong it compelled Hasina to resign in the presence of the three service chiefs and flee the country, on August 5, 2024. The former Prime Minister, elected for the fifth time in January 2024, arrived in India and continues to be there, her future plans uncertain.

When she left her official residence, Ganabhaban, the public stormed its lavish premises. The world saw images of people making off with suitcases and deep freezers, but also goats, fish, and a German Shepherd pup. Statues of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Hasina’s father, considered the founding father of Bangladesh, were vandalised, the video going viral.

The army chief, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, called for peace, and on August 6, 2024 it was announced that Muhammad Yunus, the 84-year-old pioneer of microfinance who won the Nobel prize in 2006, would lead an interim government, with 16 advisers, including two student representatives. The Hasina government had filed over 200 cases against the Grameen Bank founder, for corruption.

It wasn’t just student politics that brought the Hasina government down. According to Bangladeshi human rights organisations, security forces have committed over 600 enforced disappearances since 2009. While some people were later released, produced in court, or said to have died during an armed exchange with security forces, nearly 100 people remain missing, they say.

These actions angered people. For instance, Brigadier General (suspended) Abdullahil Amaan Azmi was released from the detention centre known as Aynaghar (House of Mirrors), after eight years of captivity in the early hours of August 6. Azmi is the son of late Ghulam Azam, the former ameer (chief) of the Jamaat-e-Islami, a religion-based political party that was started in 1941 and has its roots in present-day Pakistan. He was allegedly forcibly picked up from his residence on August 23, 2016, and had since been missing. The Hasina government had repeatedly denied the existence of Aynaghar and 23 other detention camps, where political opponents were allegedly kept.

The Hasina government had, on August 1, 2024, banned the Jamaat-e-Islami, saying it was a threat to public security. The Jamaat is a key ally of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), who was then in jail on charges of corruption, but now released. “They (Jamaat and BNP) just used the students as their shield,” Hasina had said, when Italian Ambassador Antonio Alessandro called on her, news agency PTI reported.

The Jamaat’s central executive committee member and the party’s media and publicity secretary, Matiur Rahman Akanda, calls the 2024 election a “dummy election”.

After the fall of the Hasina regime, families of political prisoners secretly jailed under her rule have gathered in front of Director General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) headquarters. Sanjida Islam Tulee, co-founder of Mayer Dak, an organization of the families of the victims of ‘enforced disappearances’, says, “We have learnt from recently released former army officer Brigadier General Abdullahil Aman Azmi that there are many others in that Aynaghor. We went to the DGFI office to find out who is detained there and to talk about the issue.” They demand that the prisoners be released together instead of separately.

Media strangulation

The Bangladeshi media have often accused the government of stifling freedom of speech and assembly. According to a research paper by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS), at least 451 journalists were sued under the Digital Security Act (DSA) since its inception and 255 of them were sued for their journalistic reports. Among the accused, 209 journalists are associated with national-level Bangladesh media and 197 with regional media outlets. The CGS found that at least 4,520 people have been charged in 1,436 cases filed between October 2018 and September 2023.

Raihan Hossain, a journalist from Jago News, an online news outlet in Bangladesh, says journalists in Bangladesh have faced huge challenges, particularly when reporting on sensitive issues like the extra-judicial killings, enforced disappearances, and the corruptions.

He says, “Journalists who dared to investigate and report on these issues often faced severe threats. The powers-that-be would go to great lengths to silence us, using intimidation and fear to prevent any negative coverage. It was a constant battle, and many of us were put in positions where our safety was at risk simply for trying to do our jobs.”

He adds that the situation was further complicated by the government’s blatant ‘favouritism’ for certain media outlets. “Newspapers that aligned with the government’s agenda were granted numerous facilities and privileges, while those that attempted to maintain journalistic integrity were often deprived of essential resources. This made it increasingly difficult for independent journalism to thrive, as the government’s influence over the media landscape created an environment where only the voices that supported the official narrative could prosper.”

A rise in minority violence

After Hasina’s fall, there has also been a rise in violence against the Hindu minority. According to Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC), 200-300 Hindu homes and businesses were vandalized, and 15-20 temples were damaged. Many have been injured.

Rana Dasgupta, the general secretary of the BHBCUC Oikya Parishad says, “Some of those whose homes were attacked may be directly involved in Awami League politics, but 98% are Hindus not involved in political activity.” He hopes the interim government will restore stability and protect minorities. Student and Jamaat leaders have put out statements asking supporters to guard temples and churches as diplomats and rights groups expressed concerns over reports of attacks on minority groups.

Monzurul Islam, president of the Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, says they do not consider any group a minority or majority in the country: “Everyone is equal,” he says, despite the group’s belief that the reason for Hasina’s political dominance in the country was India. Hindus, who form 8% of the population of over 17 crore, were traditionally Awami League supporters.

Photographer and human rights activist Shahidul Alam says, “India is effectively Bangladesh’s only neighbour. It is also a major trade partner. It makes no sense for Bangladesh not to have a cordial relationship with India.” He hopes though that a future relationship will be based on equality, rather than that of a ‘big brother’.

Two prominent Indian-American lawmakers have called for an immediate end to the ongoing brutal violence against the minority Hindu community in Bangladesh following the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina-led government.

The Congressmen have also urged the prime minister-designate of the interim government, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, to uphold the rule of law as he takes over the reins of the interim government.

Also read: Bangladeshis spend sleepless night amid fears of robbery and looting

The remarks by two influential Congressmen come a day after scores of Hindu American groups met State Department officials amidst the spike in crime against the minority Hindu community and the destruction of Hindu temples in Bangladesh.

They also said the failure of Congress and the administration to acknowledge and condemn the violence against Hindus and other religious minorities is unacceptable.

Several Hindu temples, households and businesses have been vandalised and at least two Hindu leaders affiliated with Hasina’s Awami League party were killed in the violence since Monday when Hasina resigned and fled to India.

“Bangladeshi students had just human rights concerns against PM Hasina. It’s good she is gone. But the violence now targeting Hindus is wrong. PM Yunus must uphold the rule of law & prevent the targeting of temples or people of any political party or faith from violence,” Ro Khanna, Congressman said in a post on X on Thursday.

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said, “As Bangladesh prepares to swear in its interim government, I urge all government officials, the new administration and police chief, and the people of Bangladesh to do all they can to end the violence that has emerged across the country, including the brutal targeting of the country’s Hindu minority, their homes, businesses, and their temples.” “The violence must stop and those responsible must be brought to justice to help the people of Bangladesh move forward as a nation. I will continue to closely monitor developments in Bangladesh in coordination with the US State Department,” Krishnamoorthi said in a statement on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Hindu American Foundation director of Policy Research Anita Joshi, Utsav Chakrabarti of HinduAction, Human Rights Collective for Bangladesh Minorities Executive Director Priya Saha, and geopolitical analyst Jay Kansara met with the US Ambassador for International Religious Freedom (IRF) Rashad Hussein at the US State Department in Washington, DC.

Urging US government action, the group briefed Hussein on the violence directed at Hindus and other religious minorities throughout Bangladesh, sharing documented incidents against Hindus and Hindu temples over 48 hours after Hasina left the country amidst civil unrest.

“The failure of Congress and this administration to acknowledge and condemn the violence against Hindus and other religious minorities is unacceptable,” Joshi said.

“The situation on the ground in Bangladesh is urgent and dire. We implore the State Department to use its clout and resources to put an end to this rampant violence against religious minorities, violence rooted in decades of mistrust and maltreatment of Bangladesh’s Hindu minority,” she said.

In a separate statement, the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS) urged the US President, State Department, IRF Ambassador, and presidential candidates to take immediate action to ensure peace is re-established in Bangladesh and that “minorities are protected, preventing another potential Hindu Genocide.” FIIDS also urged the United Nations to deploy observers and peacekeeping forces to contain the situation on the ground in Bangladesh and ensure the protection of vulnerable communities.

It made similar appeals to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

Since Hasina fled the country on Monday, media reports from Bangladesh have flagged more and more cases of violence against minorities, including the massive vandalism and destruction at popular folk band Joler Gaan’s frontman Rahul Ananda’s residence on Monday prompting the singer and his family to go into hiding.

However, it is not just Hindus that are targeted. At least 232 people were killed in Bangladesh in the incidents of violence that erupted across the country following the fall of the Hasina government on Monday, taking the death toll to 560 since the anti-quota protests first started in mid-July.

Meanwhile, soon after he arrived in Dhaka from Paris, Yunus on Thursday promised to deliver a government which assures safety to its citizens. He is to take oath later in the evening.

Earlier on Tuesday, the US expressed deep concern about the continued violence in Bangladesh including attacks on members of religious or political groups, and said it will be vital for the new government to credibly investigate all such instances and provide justice to victims.

“We are deeply concerned about continued reports of violence in Bangladesh – including violence directed at members of religious or political groups. We are equally concerned about reports of violence against police and law enforcement,” a State Department spokesperson told PTI on Tuesday.

Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin (left) administers the oath of office to Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus as the leader of the country’s interim government at a ceremony in Dhaka on August 8, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AFP

A 14-member interim government in Bangladesh, under the leadership of Noble Laureate Muhammad Yunus, was sworn in on Thursday (August 7, 2024), three days after Sheikh Hasina stepped down as Prime Minister and left the the country after mass protests.

Bangladesh crisis live updates – August 8, 2024

President Mohammad Shahabuddin administered the oath to the 84-year-old as the Chief Adviser of the interim government, and the Cabinet members at 9:20 p.m. local time at a ceremony held in Bangabhaban, the official residence of the President.

Military officers, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secretary-general Mirza Fakhrul Islam, Jamaat-e-Islami amir Shafiqur Rahman, Jatiya Party chairman Ghulam Muhammed Quader as well as foreign diplomats from the U.K., Japan, China, the Philippines, Iran, Argentina, Qatar, the UAE and the Netherlands were present at the ceremony.

No one from the Awami League, Ms. Hasina’s party, was seen at Bangabhaban.

After Mr. Yunus, 13 out of the 16 advisers of the interim government were sworn in. The Cabinet members are: Saleh Uddin Ahmed, Asif Nazrul, Adilur Rahman Khan, Hasan Arif, Tauhid Hossain, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Brig. Gen. (Retd) M. Sakhawat Hossain, Supradip Chakma, Farida Akhtar, Bidhan Ranjan Roy, A.F.M. Khalid Hossain, Nurjahan Begum, Sharmin Murshid, Md. Nahid Islam (students’ representative), Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan (students’ representative) and Farooqui Azam.

As Gonobhaban, the Prime Minister’s Office and official residence, remains in shambles after protesters stormed it following the resignation of Ms. Hasina, the state guesthouse Jamuna will be the office and residence of the Chief Adviser.

Sources said a committee will be formed to assess the damage to these two important installations, and renovation will begin soon afterwards.

Earlier in the day, after landing in Dhaka from a trip to France, Mr. Yunus gave an emotional speech, recalling the sacrifices made by students who were met with a heavy-handed response from the Ms. Hasina-led government.

In his speech, he addressed the people of Bangladesh as “one big family” and said the young protesters had given them a “new birth”. However, he condemned the recent violence directed against the country’s religious minorities.

“My first word to you is to protect the country from disorder. Protect it from violence so we can follow the path our students have shown us,” he said.

Restoring stability and stopping anarchy have become immediate priorities as attacks, looting and destructive activities persisted on Thursday in many part of the country, in the absence of government and enforcement agencies.

However, the Bangladesh Army, alongside other law enforcement agencies, said they would take strict action to stop the ongoing attacks across the country.

Following the newly appointed Inspector-General of Police’s call to return to duty within 24 hours, some police personnel have started to report back, but many others are waiting for security assurances before returning to their posts. Many force members are fearful of further violent reprisals from the public after having opened fire on protesters and the general public under the Hasina regime.

Shamsus Sadat Selim, Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Public Administration, confirmed that all contractual appointments of officials made during the tenure of the recently ousted Awami League government are set to be cancelled. Also, there is a growing demand to remove other officials who benefited from the last government’s tenure from key positions.

Meanwhile, during a regular briefing in Washington on Wednesday, Matthew Miller, the U.S. State Department Spokesperson, said the U.S. believes the interim government should respect democratic principles, the rule of law, and the will of the Bangladeshi people. Mr. Miller also mentioned that they think the interim government will play a vital role in establishing long-term peace and political stability in Bangladesh.