Last updated on August 29th, 2024 at 05:25 pm
Calls for Trial of Sheikh Hasina after Her Resignation
Dhaka: A prominent Bangladeshi student leader who played a key role in the movement which forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign is now demanding her trial. Nahid Islam, the charismatic chief of protests and now a minister in the interim administration, says Hasina will be held responsible for the killings that took place under her government, as well as for the violent protests that recently compelled her to step down and run away from the country.
Protests Erupt Over Government Job Quotas
What began in July as peaceful protests against government job quotas morphed into a national movement aiming for Hasina’s ouster. Close to 300 people – the majority of them students – were killed in the ensuing violence. Hasina, who has been in power for a cumulative 20 years since three decades ago, stepped down on Monday and has since been in exile in India.
Sajeeb Wazed Joy Says Hasina to Return HOME
Sajeeb Wazed Joy, Hasina’s son, said his mother will return to Bangladesh from India after the announcement of elections. The Opposition have been demanding that elections be held within three months.
Interim Gov’t Emphasizes Free Elections and Justice
Nahid Islam stressed that the caretaker government was committed to holding free and fair elections while investigating alleged corruption under Hasina’s regime. Islam, now in charge of the ministries of postal, telecommunication, and information technology, said Bangladesh would need electoral and constitutional reforms before any elections could be held.
Focus on Bangladesh-India Relations
But fully aware of the India-Hasina’s Awami League party relationship, Islam called for a more representative stance by India-one that includes the interests of the people of Bangladesh as a whole. “We want friendly ties with India,” he said, adding that India must reassess its foreign policy to prevent regional instability.
A New Chapter for Bangladesh
The call for Sheikh Hasina’s trial, meanwhile, is a clarion call for accountability and justice in this land now in a period of political transition. The interim government will be under scrutiny from within and outside the country for normalizing the situation in the country and holding free and fair elections.
