Bangladesh president dissolves parliament, paving way for Hasina's replacement election
DHAKA, Bangladesh: Bangladesh's president dissolved parliament on Tuesday, paving the way for fresh elections to replace the prime minister who resigned and left the country after weeks of violent unrest.
The decision was announced by President Mohammad Shahabuddin's office on Tuesday afternoon. Protest leaders had earlier threatened to return to the streets if parliament was not dissolved the same day.
Hasina resigned and fled the country by helicopter, while protesters defied a military curfew and marched to the capital, before thousands stormed her official residence and other buildings linked to her party and family.
Her departure comes after weeks of protests over the government's job quotas that turned into bloody violence, challenging her 15-year rule. The government tried to quell the protests by closing schools, imposing curfews and sending in troops to fire tear gas, rubber bullets and live ammunition, killing around 300 people. But the violent tactics have only served to stoke anger.
Bangladesh's top president and military commander said late Monday that a caretaker government will soon be formed to preside over new elections.
Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zamam said Monday he would temporarily take control of the country as the military tries to quell unrest. The military wields significant political influence in Bangladesh, which has suffered more than 20 coups or attempted coups since independence in 1971.
The country's top president, Mohammad Shahabuddin, said after a meeting with Waqer-us-Samam and opposition politicians that parliament would be dissolved and a national government would be formed as soon as possible, leading to new elections.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, who could lead Bangladesh's new caretaker government, is in Paris for the Olympics. He said Hasina's resignation was the country's “second day of liberation.” He could not immediately be reached for comment.
A long-time rival of the deposed leader, he was accused of corruption by her government and put on trial in what he said was revenge. He won a Nobel Prize in 2006 for his work pioneering micro-lending.
Student organizer Nahid Islam said the protesters would nominate additional cabinet members and suggested it would be difficult for those in power to ignore their demands.
Dhaka streets appeared calm on Tuesday, with no new reports of violence.
Amid the celebrations, student Juairia Karim said the day was historic. “Today we got what we deserved. Everyone is happy. Everyone is cheerful,” she said.
Delighted protesters continued to gather at the deposed leader's residence, with some posing for selfies with soldiers guarding the building where angry protesters had looted furniture, paintings, flower pots and chickens the day before.
But the country is still tallying the death toll from weeks of violent unrest that has led to some of the country's deadliest bloodshed since its 1971 war of independence. Many fear Hasina's departure could lead to more instability in the densely populated South Asian nation, already grappling with crises ranging from high unemployment to corruption and climate change.
The violence that broke out before and after Hasina's resignation left at least 109 people dead, including 14 police officers, and hundreds more injured, according to media reports that could not be independently verified.
Amid security concerns, the main airport in the capital Dhaka has been suspended for eight hours.
In the southwestern district of Satkhira, 596 prisoners and inmates escaped from a prison after an attack on the compound late Monday, the United News of Bangladesh reported, as police stations and security forces were hit across the country.
Most police in Dhaka have left their stations and congregated at the central military camp, fearing attacks after several stations were burned or vandalised.
The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Tuesday called on the public to exercise restraint at what it said was a “transitional moment on our democratic path”.
“If the people decide to exercise their legal power without following due process, it will be against the spirit of the revolution to overthrow the illegitimate and dictatorial regime of Sheikh Hasina,” Tariq Rahman, the party’s acting chairman, wrote on the social media platform X.
In a statement on Monday, UN Human Rights Secretary-General Volker Turk said any transfer of power in Bangladesh must be “consistent with the country’s international obligations” and “open and inclusive with meaningful participation from all Bangladeshis.”
Hasina landed at a military airport near New Delhi on Monday after flying from Dhaka and met India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, The Indian Express reported. Hasina was taken to a safe house and is likely to travel to the UK.
The 76-year-old was elected to a fourth consecutive term in a January vote that was boycotted by her main rivals. Thousands of opposition members were jailed ahead of the election and the United States and the United Kingdom condemned the result as unreliable, although the government has defended it.
