Following intense protests that led to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation, Bangladesh is in a state of political upheaval.
The Parliament has been dissolved, and student protesters are demanding that Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus lead the interim government instead of the army.
The movement has been characterized by widespread discontent with Hasina’s increasingly authoritarian rule, which saw the manipulation of elections and suppression of opposition.
The protests, initially sparked by a policy on civil service jobs, quickly evolved into a broader opposition movement against the regime.
Nahid Islam, a coordinator of the protests, made it clear that the demonstrators would not “accept any army-supported or army-led government.”
Yunus, known for pioneering microlending to lift people out of poverty, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.
“This is a kind of volcanic eruption. The monster who is on top of us has left. Today we are free.”
The situation remains volatile, with over 400 deaths reported in recent clashes.
As the country navigates this transition, the world watches to see if the promises of reform and true democracy will be realized.
