Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 7th August. UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Gwyn Lewis on Tuesday said that the resignation and departure of the Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after weeks of bloody protests has been met with “euphoria” alongside some concern over the government’s transition.
“Young people and people from every range of life across Bangladesh, across the entire country, came out on the streets to celebrate,” Gwyn Lewis remarked.
Some of the celebrations after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation took a violent turn, led to scenes of destruction, vandalism, attacks against police stations, and killings of police officers who were seen to be in alignment with the government.
Over 300 civilians were killed and over 20,000 injured in student-led protests during the last weeks, made the bloodshed among the worst ever witnessed in Bangladesh.
The unrest began in July with protests by students against civil service job quotas. Although the scheme was withdrawn, protests erupted last week with the key demand for the Prime Minister to quit and for those responsible for the violent suppression of demonstrations to be held accountable.
Ms. Hasina had been in power since January 2009, have led the country from 1996 to 2001.
According to Gwyn Lewis relative calm returned to the country but the situation remains uncertain until a transitional government is formed.
Media reports suggest that Muhammad Yunus will head the interim government.
Ms. Lewis responded that “it is incumbent on all of us to remember that is was in December that there were very controversial elections held and there was really a very strong sense in the country that those elections were not free and fair”.
This political frustration was exacerbated due to the increase in food and fuel prices, leading more marginalised Bangladeshis to fall further into poverty,she said.
Young people were impacted when the government announced a court order in June regarding civil service job quotas that favoured those considered elite, made it harder for the two million young Bangladeshis who enter the workforce every year to find a job.
Ms. Lewis stated that many civilians from different parts of society joined the protests “calling for change and that was the change that they haven’t been able to see during the elections in December,”.
Despite the chaos of recent weeks, Ms. Lewis characterised the mood in the country as “one of hope”.
“If and when this transition Government is shaped and the voices of the young people in the country are heard, I think we can really shape and move forward to continue the trajectory of positive development,” she added.
She noted Bangladesh’s progress to achieve its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
“It’s really a moment of a crossroads for Bangladesh, and so we’re really hopeful that this will become something very positive that we can build on for our colleagues who are Bangladeshis and for the people of Bangladesh,” she concluded.
Comments are closed.