Will Yunus-led interim government bring Bangladesh out of its ‘dark era’?

As a new government headed by the country’s only Nobel laureate takes charge, many wonder how it will undo years of ex-PM Sheikh Hasina’s ‘autocratic rule’.

Protesters storm the official residence of ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka on August 5, 2024

Dhaka, Bangladesh – Maliha Namlah says she had been holding her breath since Monday when student-led protests in Bangladesh led to the resignation and flight of longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, following weeks of deadly unrest that claimed more than 300 lives.

Namlah, 19, was a coordinator of the student movement at Jahangirnagar University on the outskirts of the capital, Dhaka. With Hasina’s government ousted, her main concern was whether the new leadership would bring about another military regime in a country that has experienced several coups since its independence from Pakistan in 1971.

The current army chief, General Waker-uz-Zaman, has been praised for taking control of the country during the crisis and promptly announcing the formation of an interim government following Hasina’s departure.

“We didn’t fight and shed blood for a military government. We wanted a civilian government that would implement genuine reforms,” Namlah told Al Jazeera on Friday. “And we are relieved to see that this has happened quickly.”

Three days after Hasina’s resignation, Muhammad Yunus, South Asia’s only Nobel laureate, was sworn in on Thursday night as the “chief adviser” of a caretaker government tasked with restoring peace and democracy—both of which critics say were eroded during Hasina’s 15 years of “autocratic” rule.

In this caretaker government, the chief adviser holds the rank of prime minister, and the members of the advisory council are given the status of ministers.

As the new administration takes over in Dhaka, many are wondering whether it will be able to take the country of 170 million people out of what one of the members of the new government called a “dark era”.

Why was Yunus picked?

The protests in Bangladesh, which began last month, were primarily led by tens of thousands of university students opposing a quota system for government jobs that they claimed disproportionately favored those connected to Hasina’s Awami League party.

The largely peaceful demonstrations were met with violence from both security forces and supporters of Hasina’s party, leading to nearly 300 deaths and escalating the protests into a broader demand for Hasina’s resignation.

Hours after Hasina resigned and fled to neighboring India on a military aircraft, the Students Against Discrimination—a coalition of student groups leading the protests—proposed 84-year-old Yunus as the head of an interim government.

Yunus, an economist and banker, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his efforts to lift millions out of poverty through microloans. A long-time critic of Hasina, he described the success of the student-led protests as a “second independence day” for Bangladesh.

“I feel incredibly relieved to see Dr. Yunus sworn in as the head of the interim government,” Abdullah Al Mamun, a businessman in the garment industry, told the news. “I hope that someone with his credentials can effectively guide the country through this crisis.”

‘Freedom to every home’

After his swearing-in on Thursday, Yunus told reporters as he was flanked by student leaders: “Bangladesh is a family. We have to unite it. It has immense possibility.”

He said his government’s “foremost promise is to ensure that everyone can enjoy the fresh air of freedom”.

“We must ensure that the benefits of this freedom reach every citizen; otherwise, it will be meaningless. We are committed to bringing freedom to every home,” he said, adding that those who committed wrongdoing during Hasina’s tenure “will be held accountable.”

A mural of Hasina vandalised by protesters

Analysts noted that one of Yunus’s primary challenges will be restoring law and order after days of chaos, which included attacks on the homes of Awami League politicians, sporadic assaults on temples and the homes of minority Hindus perceived to be close to the ousted Hasina, and a general lack of policing. This absence of law enforcement was highlighted by students taking on the task of managing traffic on the busy streets of Dhaka this week.

Acknowledging the disorder, Asif Nazrul, a law professor at Dhaka University and a member of Yunus’s interim government responsible for the Ministry of Law and Justice, stated that the government is facing numerous challenges due to the unprecedented situation in the country.

“Under [Hasina’s] autocratic rule, it was a dark era, and the people’s deep anger against the regime triggered this upheaval. However, we can no longer condone such outbursts, as they have surpassed acceptable limits,” he said.

Who else is in the government?

The interim government is composed of a blend of experience and youth, featuring rights activists, professors, lawyers, former government officials, and other prominent figures from Bangladesh’s civil society.

A notable point of discussion in the coming days is the unexpected inclusion of two 26-year-old student leaders who led the recent movement against Hasina. Nahid Islam, a sociology student at Dhaka University, has been assigned the telecommunications portfolio, while Asif Mahmud, a linguistics student from the same university, will oversee sports.

“If Bangladesh is led by its youth, the country will stay true to its goals,” Islam said on Thursday.

Islam, right, and Mahmud being sworn in as advisers in the interim government [Mohammad Ponir Hossain/Reuters]

Mahmud expressed his readiness for the challenges ahead, stating, “The state institutions were devastated under [Hasina’s] fascist regime. Our goal is to eradicate fascism by reforming these institutions.”

Former army officer M. Sakhawat Hossain has been appointed to the Ministry of Home Affairs. Although he was once associated with Hasina’s Awami League, he supported the student protests against her government.

The Ministry of Finance has been entrusted to Saleh Uddin Ahmed, who previously managed the central bank during the 2001-2006 rule of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Former diplomat and columnist Touhid Hossain will oversee foreign affairs.

Other prominent members of the new government include climate change minister Syeda Rizwana Hasan, a Ramon Magsaysay Award winner for her environmental work; rights activist Adilur Rahman Khan, who will handle industries; electoral reforms activist Sharmeen Murshid, assigned to the Ministry of Social Welfare; and women’s rights advocate Farida Akhter, who will lead the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, known for her work in biodiversity-based ecological agriculture.

Members of the new cabinet are sworn in [Rajib Dhar/AP]

The remaining cabinet members include former Attorney General Hasan Ariff, who will handle local government affairs; Yunus’s longtime associate Nurjahan Begum, who will oversee health; and Muslim leader and academic Khalid Hossain, assigned to religious matters.

The portfolios for the last three members—psychiatrist Bidhan Ranjan Roy from the minority Hindu community, former diplomat Supradip Chakma from the Indigenous Chakma community in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, and independence fighter Faruk-e-Azam—have not yet been announced.

Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia Program and senior associate for South Asia at the Woodrow Wilson International Center in the United States, commented to Al Jazeera that “on paper,” the interim government appears “remarkably diverse” with its “wide array of leaders from all walks of life.”

“However, how these elements will come together and whether a consensus can be achieved remains uncertain. This is where Yunus’s leadership will be crucial,” he added.

Challenges ahead

One of the major criticisms of Hasina’s extended rule was her misuse of the security apparatus, particularly the police and a paramilitary force, which she allegedly used against political opponents and to manipulate elections to maintain her grip on power.

Recently, police were deployed against anti-government protesters, leading to clashes in which dozens were killed as officers fired live ammunition at demonstrators, further inflaming public anger.

Since Hasina’s departure, the absence of law enforcement on the streets has led residents to organize nighttime patrols to safeguard their neighborhoods and protect the property of vulnerable minorities, especially Hindus.

People guard a police station in Dhaka

After taking his oath, Yunus told reporters that those “instigating anarchy” would face the “full force of law enforcement” and assured that “both the victorious students and the public will work together to ensure their failure.”

Khan, now heading the Ministry of Industries, stated that the most challenging task for the new administration will be to “dismantle the remnants of Hasina’s autocratic rule.”

“This will involve making new appointments across nearly all positions in various departments and divisions, including law enforcement, the judiciary, and different ministries,” he explained.

He added that the new government will thoroughly investigate all instances of human rights violations that occurred during Hasina’s tenure, emphasizing that “upholding human rights will be a primary focus of the interim government.”

Ali Riaz, distinguished professor of politics and government at Illinois State University in the US, told Al Jazeera that the interim government has both strengths and weaknesses, as is typical with any new administration. He expressed hope that as the government begins its work and assesses its needs, additional individuals will be brought into the fold.

Riaz viewed the inclusion of younger individuals, particularly students, in the cabinet as a positive development. “They should bring fresh perspectives and innovative approaches, challenging traditional methods of governance,” he said.

He identified three immediate challenges for the interim government. First, it must establish a clear direction for the future. There are varying expectations among the public, with some calling for immediate elections and others advocating for structural reforms.

Second, the government faces economic challenges. Riaz suggested that it should implement measures that benefit the general public and demonstrate that it is distinct from its predecessors.

Third, he said, the government needs to reassess Bangladesh’s relationships with regional and global powers. “Over the past 15 years, these relationships, particularly with India, may have been shaped in ways that were not in the country’s best national interests,” he added.

Many in Bangladesh fear Hasina’s close ties with New Delhi may force the new administration to take an anti-India stance, which analysts said could be detrimental to improving the economy.

Will elections be held?

Journalist and commentator Shayan S Khan told Al Jazeera that the primary mandate of the interim government will be to conduct free and fair elections. He noted that for a nonpartisan interim administration with no vested interests, organizing elections should be relatively straightforward.

However, Khan pointed out that the circumstances surrounding the Awami League’s departure might require additional time for the party to regroup and prepare for the election, which could pose a challenge for the interim government. “Without the Awami League, the election might lack a certain level of credibility,” he added.

Michael Kugelman, on the other hand, anticipated a lengthy process for the interim government and the potential emergence of a new political party, possibly led by Yunus and the protest leaders.

The main opposition BNP is calling for immediate elections, and Kugelman suggested this could be a complicating factor in the coming days. “The crucial question is how the BNP, as the largest beneficiary of Hasina’s ouster, adapts to a new reality that may not automatically align with its power,” he said.

BNP politician Amir Khashru Mahmud Chowdhury stated that while the interim government faces the “daunting task of rebuilding the country from the aftermath of the Awami League’s extensive corruption and systematic destruction of the judiciary and bureaucracy,” it should also prioritize elections.

“I believe people are eager to exercise their democratic right to vote, which was not possible under the Awami League,” Chowdhury told Al Jazeera. “I urge the government to ensure that citizens have the opportunity to exercise their democratic rights.”

There is also uncertainty among experts about whether an interim government is required to hold elections within 90 days of assuming power.

Supreme Court lawyer Shahdeen Malik told Al Jazeera that the current “extraordinary government” in Bangladesh was formed under “extraordinary circumstances.”

“Although it is referred to as an interim or caretaker government with Dr. Yunus as its chief adviser, the fact is that there is no constitutional provision for such a government following the 15th Amendment, which removed the provision for an interim government,” he explained.

In June 2011, during her first of four consecutive terms, Hasina's government introduced the 15th Amendment to prevent any “unelected government” from taking power. This change followed a Supreme Court ruling that deemed a military-backed caretaker government from 2006 to 2008 illegal because it remained in office for over two years without calling elections within the required 90 days.

Shahdeen Malik noted that, since the 15th Amendment removed the constitutional provision for caretaker governments, the interim government under Yunus is not legally bound to hold elections within 90 days. He suggested that the new government might legalize its functioning through a constitutional amendment, as previous regimes have done—General Ziaur Rahman through the Fifth Amendment and General Hussain Mohammad Ershad through the Seventh Amendment.

Badiul Alam Majumder of Citizens for Good Governance, a civil society group advocating for political reforms, criticized the Awami League’s unilateral passage of the 15th Amendment. He argued that it effectively weaponized the constitution and undermined the political system. Majumder called for the abolition of the caretaker government system, which he said led to three failed elections (in 2014, 2018, and 2024). Instead, he advocated for constitutional amendments to ensure free and fair elections in the country’s deeply divided political landscape.

This article is collected from Aljazeera.com