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Tagged: Bangladesh Protests 2024, India-Bangladesh Relations, Muhammad Yunus, Political Unrest, Sheikh Hasina, Violent Protests
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Bangladesh Violent Protests 2024
Posted by Sreenivasulu Angayreddy on 7 August 2024 at 12:15 PMThis forum discussion is dedicated to discussing the recent violent protests in Bangladesh in 2024. Share your thoughts, analysis, and news updates on the situation. Let’s explore the underlying causes, political implications, and potential solutions to the crisis. Join the conversation and engage with others to promote understanding and peaceful resolution.
UPSC World replied 2 months, 4 weeks ago 2 Members · 3 Replies -
3 Replies
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A Brief Overview
Why it started?
- Students are protesting against the government’s decision to reinstate a 30% job quota for freedom fighters and their descendants.
- The quota system was introduced in 1972, reserving 30% of government and semi-government posts for freedom fighters and 10% for women.
- The protesters believe the quota system limits merit-based opportunities and has been misused.
How it is going?
- The protests have turned violent, resulting in over 100 deaths and leading to a siege of Dhaka.
- The government has imposed a curfew and an internet shutdown.
- The situation has escalated, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina labeling protesters as “razakars” or traitors.
- The military has been deployed to control the unrest.
Key Issues
- The quota system has been criticized for being extended to broader categories over time, leading to concerns about fairness and effective utilization.
- There have been allegations of abuse, with reservations extended to party operatives and not just deserving freedom fighters’ descendants.
- The protesters demand a more balanced and inclusive quota system.
International Relations
- India has refrained from commenting, considering it an internal matter for Bangladesh.
- The Indian mission in Bangladesh has helped 978 Indians return home.
- India is the largest development partner for Bangladesh, having extended approximately $8 billion in Lines of Credit (LOC) over the past eight years.
Way forward
- The Bangladesh government should consider a transparent and balanced quota reform that addresses both merit-based and reservation needs.
- Establishing mechanisms to monitor the implementation of quotas and prevent misuse is crucial.
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Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina Resigns Amid Protests
- Sheikh Hasina has resigned as Bangladesh’s Prime Minister amid violent protests demanding her departure.
- The Bangladesh Army, led by General Waker-Uz-Zaman, has taken control and will establish an interim government.
- Hasina resigned and fled to India on a military aircraft, following weeks of anti-government protests that left at least 300 dead and hundreds injured.
- She received an ultimatum to flee the country and arrived at Hindon Air Base in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad.
- Hasina held talks with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on the present situation in Bangladesh and her future course of action.
- The Indian Air Force and other security agencies are providing security to Hasina.
- Speculation exists that Hasina might travel to London or Belarus.
- The peaceful student protest against the freedom fighter reservation of 30% in civil services galvanized into a nationwide movement due to the government’s heavy-handed approach.
- The attack on students by Awami League’s student wing and imposition of a strict curfew further inflamed tensions.
- Bangladesh made rapid economic progress under Hasina’s regime, but the pandemic and slowing global economy hit the garment industry, increasing unemployment and inflation.
- The Parliamentary elections in 2014, 2018, and 2024 were controversial and non-participative, eroding democratic values.
- Hasina’s government relied on hard power to maintain control, creating a climate of fear and repression.
- The Digital Security Act 2018 was used to silence critics and stifle freedom of online expression.
- Rampant corruption and economic inequality fueled public discontent despite overall economic progress.
- The proliferation of bank scams and an expanding list of defaulters contributed to the growing discontent.
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Muhammad Yunus: Nobel Laureate and Microfinance Pioneer
- Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2006, has been appointed as the chief adviser to Bangladesh’s interim government.
- He is a renowned economist and founder of Grameen Bank, which pioneered microfinance and provided over $34 billion in loans to nearly 10 million people.
- Yunus is credited with creating the concept of microcredit, offering small, collateral-free loans to poor entrepreneurs.
- He was born in 1940 in Chittagong and holds a PhD in economics from Vanderbilt University.
- Yunus’s relationship with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been strained since he considered starting a political party.
- He is facing legal challenges, including a six-month prison sentence for labor law violations and investigations into tax evasion and financial transactions.
- Despite this, Yunus remains a respected figure, known for his work in promoting economic and social development.
- He has received numerous awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize, and has held various influential positions, including a board member of the United Nations Foundation.
- Yunus’s appointment as chief adviser is seen as a significant development in Bangladesh’s political landscape.
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