Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus has appealed for patience from the nation as he pledged to hold general elections only after electoral and institutional reforms are completed. Yunus, who took office following the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, promised to form an election commission soon but did not provide a specific timeline for elections, citing the need for significant reforms.
Yunus, a Nobel Laureate known for his work in microfinance, is tasked with rebuilding democratic institutions after Hasina’s authoritarian rule. The protests that led to Hasina’s removal began with demands to abolish a controversial job quota system but soon escalated into calls to remove her regime. Security forces responded violently, leading to the deaths of over 1,000 people and the arrest of thousands.
Yunus has vowed to investigate human rights violations under Hasina’s rule, including enforced disappearances. He also plans to seek the extradition of Hasina from India, where she has been in exile, to face charges of massacres and crimes against humanity in Bangladesh.
Despite facing a monumental challenge ahead, Yunus is engaging with political parties, including Hasina’s main rival, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, to pave the way for a new government through consensus building. However, analysts warn that cracks are emerging in the fragile alliance that pushed Yunus into power, indicating that the interim administration must make significant reforms to avoid a return to the status quo.
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