Bangladesh’s parliament was dissolved on Tuesday following demands from protesting student leaders, who had warned of a “strict programme” if their deadline was not met. This came a day after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country amidst a violent uprising.
Nahid Islam, one of the key organizers of the movement against Hasina, announced on Facebook alongside two other student leaders that parliament should be dissolved by 3 pm (0900 GMT) on Tuesday. They called on “revolutionary students to be ready” if their demands were not met.
This political unrest in Bangladesh has led to over 300 deaths and thousands of injuries, starting from protests against government job quotas and expanding into a broader campaign against Hasina’s 16-year rule.
The turmoil reached its peak with Hasina’s resignation and departure on Monday. Amid the chaos, there were reports of Hindu temples being targeted. Islam accused members of Hasina’s Awami League party of orchestrating these attacks to discredit the student movement.
Bangladesh’s army chief, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, was scheduled to meet with student leaders at 0600 GMT to discuss the formation of an interim government, which is expected to oversee the upcoming elections. Zaman’s announcement of Hasina’s resignation marked a significant shift in the nation’s political landscape.
While some normalcy returned to Dhaka, with lighter traffic and a few schools reopening, the capital remained tense. Student leaders have proposed Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus as the chief adviser to the interim government, a role Yunus has reportedly agreed to accept.
